It's again time to try and spy the eggs and embryos of the spotted lanternfly, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Although the insect is pretty to look at, adults and nymphs have piercing and sucking mouths that feed on the vascular tissue of leaves, shoots, branches and trunks of its victim trees.
The extensive feeding from these invasive pests create oozing wounds on woody surfaces and can result in the wilting and death of a tree's branches, IDNR said.
The eggs of this spotted scourge typically hatch in late April, but the Department of Natural Resource's Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology started scraping egg masses at infested sites in early February, IDNR said.
Eggs can be found on smooth serves and often in sheltered locations or crevices on threes, rocks, fences or other outdoor objects. Egg masses are irregularly shaped and around 1 to 1.5 inches long, IDNR said. After a female spotted lanternfly deposits the eggs, she will coat them in a protective substance "that resembles silly putty," IDNR said. As that coating dries, it begins to crack and look more like dried mud — but there can be around 30 to 50 eggs inside each mass.
After hatching, nymphs and adults tend to gather at the base of trees during the day, becoming more active during dusk and early evening hours; infested trees can show deposits of honeydew and sooty mold around their bases, which can cause the bottoms of trees and the surrounding ground to appear black. As if that wasn't bad enough, tree sap that oozes from lanternfly-inflicted wounds on trees can also attract ants, bees and wasps.
Indiana isn't the only state playing the unwilling host to the spotted lanternfly; in November 2022, the insect was reported in Cincinnati too.
The spotted lanternfly is native to China, but made its way to the United States in 2014.
The invasive insect is particularly dangerous to grapes, hops, stone fruits like peaches and plums, as well as apples. They also enjoy munching on trees found in many a Tri-State yard: maple, walnut, poplar, willow and others, according to the city.
Trees of heaven, an invasive plant common in Indiana, should be closely inspected too, because they're the spotted lanternfly's favorite.
The invasive insect is particularly dangerous to grapes, hops, stone fruits like peaches and plums, as well as apples. They also enjoy munching on trees found in many a Cincinnati yard: maple, walnut, poplar, willow and others, according to the city.
If you find a spotted lanternfly, report it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 614.728.6400 — and then kill it.
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