CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — Spotted lanternflies have officially been sighted again this year in Calvert County.
According to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, spotted lanternflies are a stressor on numerous plants and agriculture as a whole. Despite common misconceptions, spotted lanternflies don’t directly kill plants but can contribute to their decline.
The reason for this is in the way spotted lanternflies feed. Both nymphs (babies) and adults use their piercing mouthparts to suck the sap out of plants. Nymphs especially are drawn to crop plants like grapes, apples, hops, walnuts and other hardwood trees.
While they feed, spotted lanternflies excrete a sugary substance called “honeydew.” Honeydew attracts ants, wasps and bees and has a rotten odor as it ferments. It also is frequently colonized by black, sooty mold.
Spotted lanternflies usually lay their eggs in trees in May and June, so you’re likely to see later-stage nymphs this time of year, which are identifiable because of their bright red coloring. Adults can be seen from July until approximately November. Adults have two sets of wings — one brown with black spots and another that’s red with black spots.
Spotted lanternflies are considered an invasive species. They were first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014 and in Maryland in 2018. They’ve been confirmed in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
If you see spotted lanternflies, send a picture and location information to DontBud.MD@maryland.gov and see the Department of Agriculture’s instructions on management of spotted lanternflies.
Unfortunately, the Department of Agriculture advises that we’ll all have to get used to spotted lanternflies in Maryland.
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They are in prince George’s County maryland too.
I think I saw one over the weekend in Lexington Park near a crape myrtle bush. I thought the red color was unusual. Will be watching and ready with my cell.