​Spotted Lanternfly in Tioga County

In the summer of 2024, a member of the public notified the NYS IPM Program and Finger Lakes Grape Program that they had found spotted lanternfly (SLF) nymphs on their property in Romulus, NY. A follow-up inspection by an inspector from New York’s Department of Ag & Markets has confirmed the finding. The inspector only found small numbers of nymphs at the site, but their presence indicates that they very likely hatched in the area this spring, and are likely here to stay.

Shortly after, SLF were also reported in a few locations in Tioga County.

In light of this, Brian Eshenaur of the NYS IPM Program and CCE have developed some guidance on what you can and/or should be doing at this point.

1. Don’t freak out. We’ve known this pest was coming and would eventually show up here, so while it isn’t welcome news, this isn’t a surprise. Thanks to the experiences and hard work of our friends in Pennsylvania, we are much better prepared to respond to the arrival of SLF. When a new population is found in area, especially a smaller one as this appears to be right now, it takes a year or two for the numbers to build to a point where they become a concern. 

1. Be more active in scouting for Tree of Heaven if you haven’t done so already. Start scouting tree lines to identify any Tree of Heaven (TOH). While SLF can feed on many different plants, they have a special relationship with TOH. It’s likely the first plant on which you will find SLF, and females can produce more offspring if they feed on TOH than if they don’t.

1. Scouting in September and October for SLF is especially important, as this is when the spotted lanternfly adult females will be laying eggs on just about anything they find at that time.

1. If you find SLF nymphs (now) or adults (starting sometime in August), be sure to report them using the SLF Reporting Form, or contact Kelly at CCE Tioga and we will help you to get the information to IPM or Ag & Markets.

Resources about how to identify different SLF life stages or Tree of Heaven (which can easily be mistaken for sumac or black walnut) can be found at the NYS IPM website about SLF at https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly.

SLF Resources:

NYS IPM Program SLF Information:

https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly

StopSLF.org: A very comprehensive site with resources, research reports and more from a variety of research institutions

https://www.stopslf.org/

Penn State University SLF Management Resources:

https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-resources

Note: Not all the information here is relevant to New York (e.g., quarantines), but it is still a very comprehensive source of information from our neighbors who have been living with this pest for several years.

From: NYS Ag & Mkts July 16, 2024

Dear Wine and Grape Industry Partners,

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is reaching out to alert you to a new find of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in the grape-growing region of the Finger Lakes. Late last week, the Department received reports of SLF in Romulus from its partners at the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program at Cornell University. The Department immediately sent its inspectors to the area, who were able to confirm the presence of SLF.

This is of great concern to the Department as SLF is known to feed on more than 100 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as grapevine, apple trees, and hops.

Since the first detection of SLF in New York on Staten Island in 2020, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has been working closely with its partners statewide to slow the spread of this invasive insect. It has since been reported in all New York City boroughs, Long Island, and several areas in Upstate New York; however, this is the first detection in proximity to commercial vineyards in the Finger Lakes.

The Department is currently working with Cornell IPM and Hans Walter-Peterson to conduct a thorough survey of the vineyards in the surrounding area to better understand the extent of the established population of SLF. We expect to know more in the coming days and, in the meantime, we will also be working to coordinate with the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and Cornell IPM an in-person informational meeting with all grape growers as soon as possible.

We also encourage you to report any sightings on your properties to the Department by reporting SLF immediately after it is found. Follow these steps:

• Take a photo
• Collect a sample and place it in a freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer
• Contact the SLF responders and report SLF directly at this link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63
• After you have reported SLF in your area and collected a sample, you should kill any additional SLF you see by stepping on it or crushing it.

Last updated November 4, 2024