Spotted Lanternfly sighted in Pennsylvania

Subject: Unidentified Beetle
Location: Northern edge of Pottstown, PA
July 16, 2017 9:47 am
Sort of a weevil shaped insect, bright red/orange and black with bright white spots on body and legs.
I’ve never seen one of these before, and can’t find one on the web searching several sites. Do you know what it is? Since I can’t find it in searches, wondering if it’s an introduced species. Found it on our deck post afternoon of July 15, 2017. My property has a small woods on two sides.
Signature: Olin Mittan

Immature Spotted Lanternfly

Dear Olin,
This is not a good sighting.  Years ago we identified this Asian creature as an immature White Cicada, and upon searching BugGuide records, we learned it is called a Spotted Lanternfly and “native to China, India, Japan and Vietnam; invasive in Korea and in our area (PA; confirmed in Berks Co. Sep 2014)” and “SIGHTING REPORTS WANTED: Experts are working to delimit the current population and find new infestations of this species. Please report sightings on the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture website.”

Immature Spotted Lanternfly

Thanks for the quick response.  It turns out that the spotted lanternfly is known to exist in my township, and I was simply unaware.  We are instructed simply to kill any we encounter, but I reported it none the less.
Had it now been for your site, and response, I would still be unaware of the threat.
Thanks again for your help.
Olin Mittan

44 thoughts on “Spotted Lanternfly sighted in Pennsylvania”

  1. I’m in shillington pa. I have swarms in my back yard and along my bank. Trimming my trees alone I ran ove a few hundred with the lawnmower mulching trimmings

    Reply
  2. I live in Buckingham , Bucks county and my grandson and I were clearing up some brush by our back deck and we saw 3 of them and one was crawling up my back and my grandson brushed it off and I think we terminated the other two .
    Kenny

    Reply
  3. I live in Buckingham , Bucks county and my grandson and I were clearing up some brush by our back deck and we saw 3 of them and one was crawling up my back and my grandson brushed it off and I think we terminated the other two .
    Kenny

    Reply
  4. I have something similar but no red. All black with white dots. Found them on fig tree and roses. I’m in Bethlehem, PA. Could these be lantern flies as well?

    Reply
  5. Just this week (July 4), I have seen these bugs. They are both red-and-white-spotted and black-and-white spotted. I have only seen them on them on my concrete decks (front and back) and my stone walls. It is hard to swap them, because they hop. Most of the time, I am able to step on them. Is there any bug spray that can the used to kill them?

    Reply
  6. Found out these are lantern flies. I’ve been using DE with some success. I’m also hearing Dawn dish detergent may work too.

    Reply
  7. I just saw a black one with white spots yesterday in Chester County near Delaware state line. It was walking on my gerber daisy. After I saw a post about the lanternfly I went to look for it and could not find it. Does it destroy trees and plants?

    Reply
    • They are considered an invasive species that will most likely have negative agricultural and horticultural ramifications in their new range.

      Reply
  8. I tried using Dawn dish detergent in a spray bottle with a water/Dawn ratio of about 5:1. Sprayed a couple dozen of the flies late yesterday and they clearly did not like it. Today there were only two of them, so I hit them with the spray. 🙂

    Reply
  9. I found one of these on my back deck today (7-13-20). It was crawling on my grill. I live in Huntingdon Valley, PA.

    Reply
  10. I spotted these in both northeastern Philadelphia, PA, and East Norriton, PA. They seem to suck the life out of my plants. WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?????

    Reply
  11. We have a ton of them on our back deck, all over my raised garden(tomato’s, cucumbers, and peppers). They are also all over the back side of my townhouse. We live in Winchester Va

    Reply
  12. Lawrenceville NJ.. I spotted one in my garden a couple of days ago, and just now decided to do a search … I tried to kill it but failed as it disappeared into the thick undergrowth.

    Reply
  13. I spotted one on my deck plant today (7-4-22), identified it from my computer, but was unable to kill it before it flew away. –L.

    Reply
  14. New castle De, didn’t know what the infants looked like until this year (yes I saw them last year and the internet said not harmful) treated trees for adults last year. I have seen infants and immature “spider/flies” this year

    Reply
  15. July 2022. Found one on tomatoe plant in queens,NY. Wish I had killed it. Didn’t know what it was. Will go a hunting for it. I’ll try the dawn dish spray.

    Reply
  16. I live in Aberdeen Maryland. I have a tree infested with these bugs flies whatever they are . How do I kill or get rid of them? Does anyone know extermination procedures What’s tomorrow

    Reply
  17. I see these bugs all around , Are they harmful to people animals or plants? Where would I find more information on them?

    Reply
  18. I’ve been watching one at my house in Aliquippa PA. Too big to be a tick, has a long distance jump. Only has six legs, so not a spider. This is the first time I’ve found identification to it. The thing keeps finding me and climbing on me. It’s beautiful… But is it dangerous? They eat ants, you know?

    Reply
  19. I live in Delaware next to Mc Kenny Church Road and these things are all over especially on my grapevines what can I use to kill these things.. they have killed my rosebush now they’re on all my trees had to have one tree cut in half..

    Reply
  20. They love sappy trees and plants. maple trees and grape vines are some examples. I’ve heard of people targeting where they are largely condensed and scraping them into a bucket of rubbing alcohol or some solution that can kill them.

    Reply

Leave a Comment