Spotted lanternfly: what the agencies record

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It covers spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an insect that the agencies track in the United States and Canada. Rules and county lists change, so each section names the page it comes from and the day it was read. The parent page, insect pests of trees, compares this pest with the others on the list.

Names

USDA APHIS uses the name spotted lanternfly and the scientific name Lycorma delicatula, and its page gives no other common name. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, called CFIA, shortens it to SLF.

What the agencies say to look for

The APHIS spotted lanternfly page (modified August 26, 2025) describes the adult as about 1 inch long, with brown forewings marked with black spots and scarlet hindwings, and a yellow abdomen with black bars. It describes egg masses of about 30 to 50 eggs, about 1 inch long, which look like "wet, gray putty" when new and turn dull and brown. It also names honeydew, a sticky residue that can ferment to a vinegar-like smell and encourages sooty mold, and says nymphs and adults often gather in large numbers.

The Penn State Extension article what to look for (updated January 21, 2026) goes stage by stage. Early nymphs are black with white spots and a few millimetres long. Late nymphs are about half an inch long, bright red with black stripes and white spots. Adults are about 1 inch long, and the article says they often prefer to jump and glide over flying. Cornell's integrated pest management page says the insect does not bite or sting, feeds only on plants outdoors and can survive only about 48 hours without feeding.

Hosts

APHIS lists grapevines, hops, stone fruit trees and hardwood trees, and names tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) as the preferred host. Penn State Extension's spotted lanternfly hub says the insect feeds on sap from over 70 plant species, with a strong preference for grapevines, maple, black walnut, birch and willow. CFIA says over 100 species of trees and plants can serve as food, and that significant impacts from this feeding have only been observed on grapes.

Life cycle as the sources state it

APHIS says eggs are laid on hard surfaces and egg masses can be seen in fall, winter and spring. CFIA says egg masses are laid in late summer, survive winter temperatures and hatch in the spring. Penn State Extension says there is one generation a year in Pennsylvania, that adults die in the winter and that eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring.

Where it is reported

Country	What the agency page says
United States	APHIS lists populations in 19 States and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. It dates the first detection to 2014 in Pennsylvania.
Canada	CFIA says it confirmed the first detection of the insect in Canada on September 15, 2026, in Windsor, Ontario, and that surveillance around the site is on-going. The page was modified September 29, 2026.
United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand	No page on this insect was read for these countries on October 8, 2026.

Regulated status

APHIS says several States have quarantine areas and that quarantine zones may be expanded if new infestations are detected. It asks residents of a quarantine area to check outdoor items before travelling to new areas. Penn State Extension says 56 Pennsylvania counties are under a state-imposed quarantine that affects vehicles and other conveyances, plants, wood, stone products and outdoor household items, and that businesses in the quarantine zone may need a permit, with a training course leading to one. CFIA says the insect has been regulated in Canada since 2018 and that movement restrictions on regulated materials, including potentially infested plant material, were put in place after the Windsor detection. The directive CFIA links is D-24-01. The wider picture of wood movement rules is in the guide on moving wood and firewood.

Who takes a report

APHIS asks for sightings or damage to be reported immediately. In States with existing populations its page has a State drop-down for local contacts. In other States it names the State plant regulatory official or the State plant health director. Cornell says reports in New York go to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets through a sighting form, with photos, a note of the location and, if possible, the insect kept in a bag in the freezer or in a jar of rubbing alcohol. CFIA asks for a photo or video and for the insect, or scraped egg masses, in a sealable container, and says to report immediately; it also asks for tree-of-heaven sightings to be logged in an online app. The contact pages are on reporting a tree pest in the United States and in Canada.

What the agencies say about moving wood and goods

APHIS says the insect lays eggs on any hard surface, firewood included, and its page tells readers to check outdoor items and moved goods such as shipping containers, pallets and propane tanks for egg masses. It gives no firewood rule on that page. CFIA lists human-assisted spread by cargo and containers, camping gear, patio furniture, trucks and cars, and plant material including nursery plants, logs and firewood.

Management as the agencies list it

APHIS lists checking trees and plants regularly, inspecting vehicles before leaving a parking lot or work site, and destroying egg masses by scraping them into a bag with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. It says APHIS works with State and Tribal cooperators under a five-year strategy for Fiscal Years 2024 to 2028, and points to the local Cooperative Extension agent for control options. This page gives no product names, rates or timings. Who may apply pesticides is covered in the guide on pesticide licences.