Spotted Lanternfly in Central NJ: What Homeowners Should Know

A planthopper from Asia, first found in Pennsylvania in 2014

Spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is an invasive planthopper native to China, India and Vietnam, according to NJDA. In the United States it was first discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014, and it has since spread to New Jersey and several other states. NJDA's 2023 quarantine announcement put the count at 14 states.

It feeds on plant sap, and NJDA says it uses more than 70 kinds of plants, from fruit and ornamental trees to vegetables, herbs and vines. Heavy feeding stresses plants and can contribute to their decline. As it feeds, the insect excretes honeydew, a sugary liquid that draws bees, wasps and other insects and encourages sooty mold, a dark growth that can coat plants, patio furniture, cars and anything else parked beneath an infested tree.

Every New Jersey county is in the quarantine

In 2023 NJDA added its final eight counties to the spotted lanternfly quarantine zone, so the whole state, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset included, now falls inside it. The purpose of the quarantine is to get residents and businesses to inspect goods and vehicles before moving them.

For households, that means using NJDA's checklist before moving listed outdoor items and looking over your car before a trip, since lanternflies can ride on vehicles for several miles. Businesses that regularly travel in and out of the quarantine area need an NJDA permit, which requires taking and passing free training. The order also allows NJDA, USDA or USDA-contracted agents to access property where the insect is suspected or confirmed in order to evaluate it and treat it if needed.

Life stages of spotted lanternfly, month by month

Each stage looks so different that many people do not realize they are seeing the same insect. This is the sequence NJDA describes:

• Egg masses (laid September through December, visible September through June). About an inch long and holding 30 to 50 eggs, each mass starts with a light gray, mud-like coating that ages to a tan, cracked-mud look. Hatched masses lose the coating and look like rows of seeds.
• Early nymphs (May through July). The first three stages are black with white spots, wingless, and grow from a few millimeters to about a quarter inch. Hatching begins in late April or early May, depending on temperature.
• Late nymphs (July through September). The fourth stage is about half an inch long and bright red with black stripes and white spots. All nymphs are strong jumpers.
• Adults (July through December). Forewings are gray with black spots; hindwings are red and black with a white band. The head and legs are black and the abdomen yellow with black bands. Adults can fly but more often hop and glide, flashing the red hindwings.

Tree of heaven, maples and the backyard plants it visits

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive, fast-growing tree, is the lanternfly's preferred host. NJDA says older nymphs and early-to-mid-season adults strongly favor it, while late-season adults often move to trees such as silver maple and willow. Its main page also names grapevines, maples and black walnut among the hosts.

Closer to the house, NJDA has seen lanternflies feeding on garden plants such as cucumbers, basil and roses. NJDA recommends removing tree of heaven where that is possible and practical, using an herbicide as part of the removal, and pulling out other favored hosts such as wild grape and oriental bittersweet if practical.

NJDA's to-do list for residents

NJDA's homeowner materials boil down to a handful of habits:

• Stomp it out. NJDA asks residents to destroy any spotted lanternfly they see.
• Scrape egg masses into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to destroy them, and keep looking for egg masses through the winter.
• Look before you leave. Check vehicles, trailers and outdoor items before moving them, avoid parking under trees, and keep car windows closed.
• Survey your own property and neighborhood for every life stage.
• Remove tree of heaven, wild grape and oriental bittersweet where practical.
• Consider a homemade circle trap; NJDA links to Penn State Extension instructions.

Decks, cars, firewood and patio furniture

Egg masses are the stage people move around without knowing it. NJDA lists flat surfaces such as tree bark, rocks, lawn furniture, firewood, boats, RVs and pallets as typical laying sites, and notes that egg masses on outdoor items can travel to new places. On trees, 80 to 90 percent of egg masses are found 10 feet or more above the ground, so the ones on a trunk at eye level are only part of the picture.

Before you load a camper, bring patio chairs out of winter storage or carry firewood to another property, give each item a look for gray, mud-like patches and scrape off anything you find. In late summer, honeydew from feeding lanternflies can leave decks, cars and outdoor furniture under an infested tree sticky, and the sooty mold that follows turns that residue dark. NJDA's homeowner page also discusses pruning or treating trees that overhang patios and pools; if you are weighing that, read NJDA's guidance and the product label first, or ask your county Rutgers Cooperative Extension office.

No bites, no stings, and not one of our services

NJDA is direct about it: spotted lanternfly will not sting or bite humans or animals. It can make heavily infested areas unpleasant, but it is a plant pest, not a household pest, and Central Jersey Pest Control does not offer lanternfly treatment. For tree questions, NJDA's program pages and your county extension office are the places to start.

People sometimes confuse it with the brown marmorated stink bug, which Rutgers Cooperative Extension describes gathering on house walls in late fall and moving indoors. That one we do handle, through our stink bug control service. And if ants, spiders or other household pests are the real problem this season, the links below lead to those pages, with a free inspection and quote on each.