Spotted Lanternfly Found in Geneva

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on Monday announced new findings of the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in additional locations across New York State, including Geneva. SLF is an invasive, non-native insect that feeds on more than 100 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops, such as grapes, that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy.

The Department is now urging residents of a number of upstate counties, including Albany, Schenectady, Ontario, and Seneca counties, to report any additional sightings and scrape egg masses, which will help inspectors assess impacted areas and slow the spread of SLF in New York State.

Spotted Lanternfly was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014. It has since been detected in 18 states including New York. New York’s first detection was in the late summer of 2020 on Staten Island. SLF has continued to expand its range in New York State, and in July 2024, the Department confirmed the presence of SLF in Romulus, near the grape-growing region of the Finger Lakes. During the 2024 survey season state inspectors confirmed new populations of SLF in Geneva, Romulus, City of Schenectady, and Cohoes, Albany County.

As part of the state’s response efforts, the Department’s Division of Plant Industry staff are working diligently with partners and stakeholders to determine the extent of the population in these newly reported areas. By mid-December, it is too late in the season to see adult SLF. However, the Department advises residents of Upstate and Western New York to remain vigilant through the spring, when SLF begin to hatch, and report sightings of SLF by following these steps:

• take a photo,
• collect a sample and place it in a freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer,
• contact the SLF responders and report SLF directly at agriculture.ny.gov/reportslf, and
• after reporting SLF in your area and collecting a sample, kill any additional SLF you see by stepping on it or crushing it.

Identifying SLF and SLF Egg Masses

Adult SLF are easy to identify and are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults are active from July to December and begin laying eggs in September.

Eggs are laid in one-inch-long segmented rows of up to about 50 eggs covered in a creamy-white, putty-like substance that becomes pinkish-gray as it dries. After a few weeks the covering turns a darker tan and starts to crack, resembling a splotch of mud. Depending on the substrate, egg masses can be difficult to see and may be laid in protected locations that are difficult to inspect thoroughly. Photos and additional information about identification and SLF lifecycle is available on New York State Integrated Pest Management’s (IPM) website.

Scraping Egg Masses

SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Scrape egg masses off their surface using scraper cards, credit cards, or anything else that is hard, tapered, and flat. Kill the eggs by putting them into a re-sealable bag that contains rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer and dispose of them in the solution to be assured they will not hatch. Each egg mass contains up to 50 eggs, so removing as many as possible can reduce the numbers that will hatch in the spring.

SLF Impacts to New York Agriculture

SLF feeding can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that may interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants and negatively impacting agriculture and forest health.

The estimated total economic impact of invasive insects in the United States exceeds $70 billion per year, and if not contained, SLF could have an impact to New York State of at least $300 million annually, mainly to the grape and wine industry, which ranks third in the country in production. SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.

New York State’s Response

Since the first detection of SLF in New York on Staten Island in 2020, the Department (AGM), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and New York State Integrated Pest Management (IPM) have been working closely with partners statewide and nationally, such as the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension network to slow the spread of this invasive insect. SLF has since been reported in all New York City boroughs, Long Island, and several areas in Upstate New York. The State’s work focuses on slowing the spread of SLF and protecting vulnerable areas, such as vineyards and apple orchards, where SLF could inflict damage on New York’s agricultural and agritourism industries.

As part of the state’s outreach efforts, representatives from the Department, DEC, and IPM broadcasted live on Facebook and Instagram to viewers across New York to share tips with residents on how to combat SLF on their properties and how to avoid transporting SLF while traveling, as well as information on the SLF’s life cycle and what to expect for the rest of this summer and through the fall and winter seasons. Video from the event is available online. Additionally, to help spread awareness about the impact of SLF on New York’s agribusinesses, the Department joined DEC to spotlight the issues that one family-owned business, Lakewood Vineyard, is facing amid the spread of SLF. Watch the video here.

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