Spotted Lanternfly Kansas Update & Scouting for Adults
A 4-H youth in Kansas made news this month when they included an adult spotted lanternfly (SLF) specimen in their entomology collection at the Kansas State Fair. The specimen was reported to have been collected by the youth in Colby, Kansas, during the summer of 2021. Inspectors with the Kansas Department of Agriculture have gone to the collection site in Colby, to visually check for an SLF infestation. At this time, no life stages of SLF were found at the site or in the surrounding area, and it remains unknown if the adult collected in Colby represents a loan hitchhike or is indicative of an early population. Survey for SLF in the area will continue in 2022.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), in cooperation with USDA, has been conducting visual surveys for SLF in the state for several years. Locations at high risk for introduction or establishment are identified and inspected for evidence of an SLF infestation. Staff also monitor for SLF during regular nursery stock inspections. No SLF has been found in Nebraska to date.
SLF was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread throughout several eastern states. In 2021, small populations were also confirmed in Ohio and Indiana. As with any exotic invasive pest, early detection is key to effective control. Be vigilant in keeping an eye open for invaders like SLF.
Fall is the perfect time to scout for SLF, and NDA encourages nursery persons to keep an eye out for this pest. In the fall, adults will aggregate on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Check the trunks of tree-of-heaven for these large, colorful insects. Sites at high risk for introduction are nurseries, major interstates, and railroad corridors, as SLF has been known to move on nursery stock and vehicles/ railcars.
The adult SLF is about 1” in length, with gray forewings. These wings have black spots at the upper half and narrow black rectangles on the lower half. The underwings are red with black wingtips.
If you think you’ve seen an SLF, take pictures or collect a specimen, and report your suspicions to your NDA Entomology Inspector, or contact Julie Van Meter, NDA Entomology Program Manager/State Entomologist at 402-471-6847 or Julie.vanmeter@nebraska.gov .