Specially trained dogs are now sniffing out the invasive spotted lanternfly, but the bugs have not made their way into the Upper Cumberland.
Putnam County Ag Extension Agent Wayne Key said the lanternflies cause problems because of their potential impact on fruit plants. Key said lanternflies were first spotted in the state near Nashville a few years ago, and the closest they have been seen to our area is Wilson County.
“They are not dangerous to humans,” Key said. “That’s the biggest thing people may want to know or ask. They are not dangerous to us, they can just destroy and reduce populations of fruit and some of our ornamentals. Tree of Heaven, for example, has been used as a trap tree. So, if you have Tree of Heaven on your farm, that’s where you may see them sometimes.”
Key said the insects likely first came to Tennessee by their larvae’s presence in soil or plants shipped to the country from southeast Asia. Key said there are known spotted lanternfly populations in some northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
Key said the insects grow into moths, but in their younger stages, they have piercing mouth parts. Key said the lanternflies can secrete a sugary substance called honeydew into plants that provides an ample climate for sooty mold to grow on the base of a plant
“The adults themselves don’t feed directly on fruit for example,” Key said. “But that sooty mold causes the apples, grapes, several other fruits for example to be unmarketable because it hinders photosynthesis and therefore weakens the plant. There’s less fruit produced because of the lack of photosynthesis, the plants begin to die.”
Key said plants under stress from a disease or pests are vulnerable for more pests and diseases to come in and further impact them.
Key said the lanternflies moths are grey with patterned wings. The hind wings are red, the middle wings black and white, and the larger fore wings are tan and black spotted. Key said their bodies are black and yellow.
Key said the four instar, or pre-moth insect stages, all look the same. He said they are either black or brown and covered in white spots.
Key said the egg masses are hard, grey, shiny cases that look like scabs on tree bark. Key said they are about the size of a thumb fingernail.
“If you can capture them in a jar, that’s the best,” Key said. “If you can get pictures of them, that’d be great. Folks that have possible outbreaks or see them are instructed to call the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.”
Key said people should scrape off egg masses from trees and put them in a container filled with water or hand sanitizer. Doing this kills the eggs before they can develop.
Key said the lanternflies are still very new to Tennessee, so the state is working on traps and chemical control to ensure the population does not continue to spread. He said in 2023, some 3,000 egg masses have been destroyed. The Department of Agriculture is looking into mapping sighting locations to better control the lanternfly population.
