Have you spotted one yet? (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
Lanternflies, a colorful but invasive flying beetle, were first spotted in the city in 2020. So why are New Yorkers suddenly upset about the insects?
“We’re really noticing them in the city right now. Numbers have been low for the past few years, but it’s really building up,” said Brian Eshenaur, a crop specialist with Cornell’s Integrated Pest Management program.
Lanternflies, while generally a mild nuisance, can harm agricultural crops. “We are primarily concerned about grapevines,” Eshenaur said, naming the New York wine industry and Concord grape crops as vulnerable targets.
Spotted lanternflies first arrived in the United States in 2014 when a landscape rock imported from Korea accidentally brought eggs to Pennsylvania. The bugs made their way to Staten Island two years ago and have since spread across New York, with sightings also being reported in states like Ohio and Indiana.
While the New York City Department of Agriculture received nearly 5,000 reports of lanternfly sightings last year, reports have so far increased to 9,500 in 2022.
According to Eshenaur, lanternflies in the city are primarily a nuisance to residents. Native to a region in China, the insects feed on plants and do not sting or bite humans. After feeding, they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which can coat objects like cars or picnic tables and attract yellow vests. If left alone long enough, honeydew can also develop fungus.
Lanternflies pose a serious threat to the grape and wine industry
While lanternflies do not typically enter dwellings, Eshenaur has received reports of insects being found on high floors of buildings. “Sometimes they think buildings are trees and they’re found dead at the base of skyscrapers,” he said.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer announced on August 14 that most of New York state was infested and requested $22 million from the US Department of Agriculture to curb the spread of the insect in the region’s vineyards and crops.
Eshenaur is thankful that the insects don’t do much damage to other crops. “We are relieved to know that the impact on other agricultural commodities is not as severe as it could be.”
Its main concern is the dispersal of the species, aided by the accidental transport of adult insects or eggs. “We don’t think eradication is possible. We’ll probably have to live with that insect,” Eshenaur said.
However, he believes that the spotted lanternfly population will eventually decline in size after it peaks. “Are we at our peak this year in New York City? I’m not sure. It could be in the next year or two.”
