Invasive Insects

Spotted Lanternfly (RH)

Posted on Jul 21, 2026Share on

An adult spotted lanternfly showing off all wings. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
An adult spotted lanternfly showing off all wings. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.

Spotted Lanternfly

(Lycorma delicatula (White, 1845))

Rebekka Horn, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Tennessee

Midhula Gireesh, Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee

TAKE ACTION!

““Think you have found spotted lanternfly at your location in Tennessee? If so, please help!”

In Tennessee, spotted lanternfly (SLF) was originally reported by a homeowner in Davidson County and was later confirmed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in September 2023. Since 2023, SLF has been confirmed in 7 counties. Please see the chart below for more details:

County with confirmed SLF infestationYear that county infestation was confirmed
Davidson County2023
Wilson County2023
Sullivan County2024
Sumner County2025
Jefferson County2025
Hamilton County2025
Knox County2025

If you are NOT in Davidson, Wilson, Sullivan, Jefferson, Sumner, Hamilton, OR Knox Counties, please report SLF directly to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture by clicking on the link provided below:

https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/report_a_pest

Multiple southeastern states have banded together to form the Southern Spotted Lanternfly Working Group. On this website, you can find more information about SLF and its host range, life stages, life cycle, and research priorities being conducted by the group. Additionally, this website offers a reporting page, where you can report SLF. Click on the link below to learn more information:

https://southernslf.org

What are spotted lanternflies?

Spotted Lanternflies (SLF) are a highly invasive insect that was detected in the United States (Pennsylvania) in 2014. These insects feed on the sap of trees via piercing-sucking mouthparts. In large numbers, SLF can cause significant damage to plants. SLF have one generation per year.

Adult SLF identification

A spotted lanternfly adult showing its showy forewings, hindwings, and body.
Adult spotted lanternfly. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.

SLF have piercing sucking mouthparts, which differentiates them from butterflies and moths. Adults have tan forewings with a black bar, brick-like pattern. Their hindwings are very colorful, with red, white, and black bars. Adult SLF have yellow bodies with black bands, which are most noticeable in females that are about to lay eggs.

Males and females are differentiated by size (with females larger than males) and a red set of valvifers that allow females to lay eggs.

Lifecycle of SLF

Eggs: Eggs are laid in masses and are chocolate brown. Eggs are coated in a smooth, waxy coating by the female, which gives them a cryptic appearance and allows them to further blend into their environment. This waxy coating also protects egg masses through the harsh winter months. SLF overwinters as egg masses in this stage. Additionally, egg masses are laid on any type of surface, which makes it hard to predict where they will be laid.

Nymphs: SLF develop in 4 nymph stages, but are easier to categorize into early instars and late instars:

  • Early instars: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instar nymphs are black with white spots but differentiate in size.
  • Late instars: 4th instars are red with black-and-white markings. The late instars are more noticeable compared to the others and are an indication that the adults will hatch soon.

Adults: Please see the “Adult SLF Identification” section for more details.

spotted lanternfly life cycle.
Spotted lanternfly life cycle. Picture & graph credits: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Multiple spotted lanternfly egg masses on the underside of a tree branch.
SLF egg masses. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Multiple first, second, and third instar nymphs on a young tree of heaven.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd instar nymphs (early instars) feeding on a young tree of heaven branch. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Multiple late instar nymphs on a young tree of heaven branch.
4th instar nymphs (late instars) feeding on young tree of heaven branches. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Multiple adults feeding at the base of a large tree of heaven.
Multiple adult SLF feeding on tree of heaven. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.

Hosts & damage of SLF

SLF feeds on over 103 different plant species worldwide. Early-instar nymphs have a wider host range, but as SLF develops into late-instar nymphs and adults, it ultimately prefers hosts such as tree of heaven, black walnut, and grape. However, SLF also feeds on the following:

  • Silver maple
  • Red maple
  • Willow
  • Butternut
  • Sawtooth oak
  • Tuliptree
  • Flowering dogwood
  • American beech
  • Weeping willow
  • River birch
  • American sycamore
  • Etc.

Spotted lanternfly can cause damage to plants in two ways: directly and indirectly.

  • Directly: SLF utilizes piercing-sucking mouthparts to directly pierce tender plant tissues. Sucking up plant sap causes wilting, flagging, and death of young tree branches in severe cases.
  • Indirectly: SLF excretes honeydew, which is a very sugary, sticky substance. Honeydew is a nuisance for everybody, as honeydew can coat anything below feeding populations. Honeydew is also the fungal growth medium for sooty mold, which prevents photosynthesis in the plant.
A spotted lanternfly sticking its piercing sucking mouthpart into a branch.
Adult SLF directly feeding on a branch with its piercing-sucking mouthparts. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Wilting and flagging damage caused by SLF piercing sucking mouthparts
Direct damage caused by piercing-sucking mouthparts of SLF. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Honeydew caking on vegetation below feeding populations.
Indirect damage (excretion of honeydew) that covers plants below feeding populations. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
Black sooty mold growing on honeydew excreted by SLF.
Indirect damage (black sooty mold) growing on plants that were covered in honeydew. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee

Monitoring for SLF

Active monitoring for SLF includes the following:

  • Visual observation (under
  • Circle traps (monitors nymph and adult activity)
  • Lamp shade traps (monitors egg masses being laid by female SLF)

Please report SLF if you are not located in the seven counties listed in the “Take Action” box above in the state of Tennessee .

A circle trap deployed on a tree.
A circle trap deployed on a tree to monitor nymph and adult activity. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
A close-up picture of a circle trap that has captured nymphs in the cup.
A circle trap with small nymphs captured in the cup. Picture credit: Rebekka Horn, University of Tennessee.
A lampshade trap with the covering on, used to monitor egg mass activity.
A lampshade trap deployed on a tree to monitor egg masses. Picture credit: Midhula Gireesh, University of Tennessee.
A lampshade trap with the outer layer taken off to expose egg masses underneath.
A lampshade trap with the first layer taken off to demonstrate how egg masses are laid. Picture credit: Cindy Bilbrey, Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Management for SLF

Cultural control

  • Egg masses: Smashing an egg mass with an old credit card (or scraper card) and scraping it off of the tree into a baggie filled soap water or rubbing alcohol before removing it.
  • Nymphs & adults: physically removing thema nd stomping on them to kill them.

Chemical control – the following active ingredients can be used to help control SLF:

  • bifenthrin, beta-cyfluthrin, and dinotefuran

Resources