Can Nature Help Stop the Spread of Spotted Lanternflies (SLF)?
“The spotted lanternfly, first detected in the U.S. in 2014, is an invasive insect that threatens vineyards, ornamentals and forestry. When they munch on tree bark from a specific species called the tree of heaven, they become toxic too, by sequestering the bitter-tasting compounds from the tree into their own bodies! This added variable to an already invasive species could lead to a sizable ripple effect in the ecosystem.” Click here to read more from Question Your World …
The recent study mentioned in the “Question Your World” link above is titled “Using community science to identify predators of spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), in North America”. Researchers at Penn State used a community science approach that aimed to first determine which predators are feeding on SLF in North America and investigate what effect SLF diet may be having on predation.
Community science projects, in which volunteers from the public help collect or process data, have a long history. Community science is useful for its ability to record far more data than a small group of researchers can collect, generate datasets that span a potentially large spatial and temporal range, are relatively low cost to conduct, and can potentially educate the public and explore ways to address issues most concerning to the community. Due to these advantages, researchers conducted a community science project for initial exploration of predation of spotted lanternfly in North America. Their objectives: (1) identify North American predators of spotted lanternfly, (2) examine predator feeding behavior, and (3) test the interactions between predator feeding behaviors and predator type, spotted lanternfly life stage, and observed spotted lanternfly host plant.
To gather data from the community, researchers put out a plea for the public to submit pictures of birds and other insects eating SLF through Facebook, Penn State Extension, local news outlets, and through PA bird watcher and master gardener mailing lists. Entomology graduate student Anne Johnson stated: ‘One challenge I ran into was that I had far more observations submitted than I was expecting and prepared to receive, which was a very nice problem to have!‘
You can contribute!
The Penn State project is still ongoing! Do you have any pictures of animals consuming SLF that you’d like to share with Ms. Johnson? If so – feel free to upload your image(s) to their Facebook page or email the Hoover lab directly via [email protected]
Interested in learning more about SLF?
There’s still time to register for upcoming webinars featuring Madeline Potter, Faculty Specialist in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with the University of Maryland Extension (UME) Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the event title below to learn more and to register.
Beware the Bugs: Invasive Insects Lurking in the Chesapeake Bay Region, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Navigating Spotted Lanternfly Buzz: Separating Science from Sensation, Monday, October 20, 2025 at 10:00 am