What is the spotted lanternfly and why you should catch it and report it
Officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Invasive Species Centre are asking people to help them stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly invasive species.
The spotted lanternfly has been regulated by the CFIA since 2018, and officials ask, if you see it or its egg masses, to photograph it, catch it and report it.
Since November 2022, Ontario sightings of the spotted lanternfly have been reported in Clearview, Ottawa, Toronto, Oakville, Welland, Fort Erie, Pelham and Lincoln. It’s also been seen in other provinces.
The CFIA has not confirmed any established populations in Canada, but it continues to receive reports of sightings.
“These reports help enhance monitoring and survey activities in areas where there have been sightings or interceptions,” the CFIA website says.
What is a spotted lanternfly?
According to the Invasive Species Centre, the spotted lanternfly is a plant-hopper native to southeastern Asia that has become an invasive pest in the United States.
The spotted lanternfly goes through the following three life stages, according to the Invasive Species Centre:
Eggs These are brown, seedlike, and covered in a grey, muddylooking secretion to form an egg mass arranged vertically. They can be laid on almost any natural or artificial hard surface occurring outdoors.
Nymphs Nymphs occur in four growth phases (instars). The first three instars are black with white spots, with each successive instar becoming larger. The fourth instar is bright red with black and white spots.
Adults Adult forewings are approximately one inch long and are pinkish-grey with black spots and black veins at the tips. When the forewings are open, the bright red underwings become visible (for example in flight).
Why you should care
Spotted lanternfly can feed on more than 100 species of trees and plants, and pose a significant threat to the grape, tree fruit, wine and ornamental nursery industries.
Officials believe the species was introduced in the U.S. in 2012 and its first known establishment was in Berks County, Pa. In September 2022, more than 100 spotted lanternfly adults were found in Buffalo, N.Y., adjacent to an active rail line.
“Grapevines are a preferred host of SLF, which feed in large swarms. Currently, intense management efforts are underway in parts of the U.S. with a focus on public awareness, detection surveys, and eradication,” the Invasive Species Centre says on its website. “If this species spreads to Canada, it could be a formidable threat to various industries and the economy, in particular the horticulture, tender fruit and grape product industries.”
What to do if you spot it
Officials have a campaign called “Spot it? Snap it, catch it and report it.”
The campaign asks people who think they’ve seen the spotted lanternfly or its egg masses to take a photograph or video of it, catch the insect or scrape the egg mass off the surface where it was found with a flat edge tool such as a butter knife or paint scraper, place it into a plastic bag or container and seal it, and lastly to report the sighting to the CFIA immediately.
How to report sightings
The CFIA asks that people report sightings online. Your report should be as detailed as possible, avoid using acronyms and should report where the species was spotted.
Officials will contact you about the photo or video, or if they need to collect the insect or to share details of how and when to dispose of it.