If you’ve spotted a lanternfly, the fastest way to report it is through your state’s department of agriculture, either online or by phone. In Pennsylvania, where the pest was first detected in 2014, you can call 1-888-4BADFLY or submit a report through the state’s online portal. Most other affected states have their own reporting tools, typically found on their department of agriculture website. Reporting matters most if you’re outside a known quarantine zone, where a sighting could signal a new infestation.
Why Reporting Matters
Spotted lanternflies feed on the sap of at least 70 species of trees and woody vines, but they cause the most serious damage to grapevines, hardwoods, and ornamental plants. In vineyards, heavy feeding reduces sugar levels in fruit at harvest, drains starch reserves from vine roots, and can kill vines outright. The following year’s grape yield drops too: research from 2018 and 2019 found that higher lanternfly numbers on vines correlated directly with fewer fruit clusters per shoot the next spring.
As the insects feed, they excrete a sugary waste called honeydew that coats surfaces below. This sticky residue gets colonized by sooty mold, a dark fungus that blocks sunlight from reaching leaves. With enough lanternflies in one area, understory plants can die back entirely from mold buildup alone. Early detection through public reports helps agriculture departments respond before populations explode and economic damage sets in.
How to Identify a Spotted Lanternfly
Knowing what to look for at each life stage makes the difference between a useful report and a false alarm. Spotted lanternflies look dramatically different depending on their age.
Egg Masses (September Through May)
Females lay egg masses on nearly any hard surface: tree bark, stone walls, patio furniture, vehicles, even shipping containers. A fresh egg mass is about one inch long and covered in a white, putty-like coating. Over time, this covering dries and cracks, resembling dried mud. Once the coating wears away completely, you can see individual seed-shaped eggs underneath.
Early Nymphs (Spring Into Summer)
Newly hatched nymphs are just a few millimeters long, growing to roughly a quarter inch. They have black bodies and legs covered in bright white spots. They’re strong jumpers and will leap away if disturbed.
Late Nymphs
Fourth-stage nymphs are about half an inch long and shift to a striking bright red body with black stripes and white spots. They’re still strong jumpers at this stage.
Adults
Adults are about one inch long. At rest, their folded wings appear grayish-tan with black spots. When they open their wings, the hind wings flash bright red with black spots and a white band. Females tend to be slightly larger than males.
Common Lookalikes to Rule Out
Several native insects get mistaken for spotted lanternflies, especially in the nymph stages. Before reporting, check for these differences:
- Brown marmorated stink bug nymphs look similar to early lanternfly nymphs, but stink bugs have white bands on their antennae and legs rather than white dots on their bodies.
- Boxelder bugs are red and black but lack white spots entirely.
- Large and small milkweed bugs are orange and black. The large milkweed bug has a broad black bar across its back; the small one has a dark orange cross. Neither has white dots.
- Harlequin bugs are orange and black and typically feed on cabbage-family plants. They lack the bright red body and white-spotted black markings of a late-stage lanternfly nymph.
- American dog ticks are similar in size to a newly hatched nymph, but ticks have eight legs and no black-and-white coloring.
What to Do After You Report
Reporting is the first step, but you can take immediate physical action too. If you find egg masses on your property between September and May, scrape them off using a plastic card or putty knife. Scrape them into a bag or container filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, and leave them submerged permanently. This step is critical: egg masses scraped onto the ground can still hatch. You can also smash egg masses directly, but apply firm, even pressure across the entire mass. A properly crushed egg will visibly burst open.
If you see nymphs or adults, kill them on sight. They’re not fast fliers, and nymphs can often be stomped or caught.
The Tree of Heaven Connection
Spotted lanternflies feed on dozens of plant species, but their most preferred host by far is the tree of heaven, an invasive tree also native to China. Nymphs and adults survive at higher rates and females produce significantly more eggs when feeding on this tree compared to any other species. Lanternfly populations tend to reach their highest densities in areas where tree of heaven is present, whether in residential neighborhoods, wooded areas, or near vineyards.
If you have tree of heaven on your property, it’s worth identifying and managing it. Pest managers sometimes use these trees strategically: placing traps on their trunks to detect or monitor lanternfly activity. In areas with established populations, a “trap tree” approach involves removing most tree of heaven specimens and treating a few remaining ones with systemic insecticide so that lanternflies feeding on them die. Checking tree of heaven trunks for egg masses from fall through early spring is one of the most effective things property owners can do.
Quarantine Zones and Travel
Many states with established lanternfly populations have designated quarantine zones covering specific counties. If you live or work in one, there are legal requirements for moving goods and vehicles. Before transporting anything out of a quarantine zone, you’re required to inspect it. This includes plant material, firewood, lawn furniture, construction supplies, tools, and vehicles themselves. Lanternflies and their egg masses hitchhike on almost anything left outdoors.
Businesses operating within quarantine zones need a permit to move regulated articles within or out of the zone. The permit process requires managers or supervisors to complete a training course. Reciprocal agreements between states mean businesses typically don’t need separate permits for each state. Records of training, vehicle inspections, shipping logs, and any control measures taken must be kept for at least two years.
For residents moving personal property, states provide a compliance checklist. You inspect each item, remove and destroy any life stages of lanternfly you find, sign the checklist, and carry it with you as a legal document showing compliance. Even traveling within a single quarantined county requires inspection, since lanternfly populations are unevenly distributed.