Greene Factsheetwinsaward

A factsheet about the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) co-authored by a Central State University Extension (CSUE) regional educator and The Ohio State University has received first-place honors in the Ohio Joint Council of Extension Professionals CreativeWorks Award in the factsheet category.

Co-written by former CSUE Regional Educator Jamie Dahl, who has since recently relocated to Colorado, the factsheet shares information on the new non-native invasive insect pest in the United States.

The insect has been sighted in Jefferson County, Ohio, says CSUE Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director Dr.

Cindy Folck.

After hatching in the late spring, the SLF goes through four nymph stages. By midsummer, the nymphSLF can be identified by its red body, roughly a half-inch in size, with black stripes and white dots. During the late summer until November, the SLF is in the adult moth stage. These adults are larger, roughly one inch in size, with black bodies and brightly colored wings.

The preferred host of the SLF is Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), which is also an introduced invasive species. SLF nymphs and adults have been reported feeding on wild and domestic grapes, hops, fruit trees, willow, various hardwood trees, pines, shrubs and vines.

Anyone with a suspected SLF sighting is asked to report them to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, CSUE or the Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) mobile app.

Formore information, the complete factsheet can be found on the CSUEwebsite at CentralState/ edu/extension, or contact Dr. Folck at afolck@centralstate.edu.