Hoppers of North Carolina:
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FULGORIDAE Members: NC Records

Lycorma delicatula - Spotted Lanternfly

Lycorma delicatula
© Scott Bolick- nymph, note distinctive pattern		Lycorma delicatula
© Archer Jones		Lycorma delicatula
© Archer Jones		Lycorma delicatula
© Abby H- note color and pattern
Taxonomy
Family: FULGORIDAESubfamily: AphaeninaeTribe: Aphaenini
Taxonomic Author: (Walker, 1858)
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist  Google                                                                                  
Description: A distinctive, large species, unlike anything else in our area. Adults have forewings that are pinkish-gray with bold black spots across the basal 2/3; the apical 1/3 of the wings are blackish with contrasting white wing venation, forming small black blocks. The forewings are a bold mixture of red and black with a diagonal white band. The antennal bases are orange. The legs and underside of the body are blackish-gray, with yellowish margins to the abdominal segments and [sometimes] a red tip to the abdomen. Adults are approximately 1 inch (~25 mm) long and 0.5 inches (~13 mm) wide. (NCDA&CS)

The first three nymphal instars are black with scattered white spots. The fourth instar is largely red with black and white markings. Here is an image showing the full life cycle.

Egg masses are brownish and can sometimes be covered with a grayish waxy layer, giving a mud-like appearance.

Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Distribution: An Asian species, native to China, India, and Vietnam, introduced in Japan and Korea; introduced and invasive in North America, likely from China, first detected in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014 (though it is likely the species arrived a couple years earlier, UDEL). It has since been spreading outwards throughout PA and the East Coast, particularly since 2018- it has now been recorded in NY, CT, MA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, OH, and NC, with infestations present in all of these states except MA and NC. There is a large potential for the species to eventually spread throughout large parts of the country: SLF future.

See a map of the distribution of this species in North America here: SLF.

Abundance: Two recent adult records from the mountains from two different counties, and a nymph from the coast, plus a few other counties noted as having sightings of lone individuals so far- this species is not yet established in North Carolina.
Seasonal Occurrence
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Orchards, vineyards, residential areas, etc.
Plant Associates: Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is the primary host plant; also likes grape. When numbers are higher, individuals move to red and silver maple. However, this species is known to feed on 103 plant species, of which 56 are present in North America. (ET, UDEL)

For lists of various host plant species, see the information at the bottom of this page: UDEL.

Behavior: Adults lay eggs between September and December on host trees and smooth surfaces like furniture, which can last until June of the following year. Nymphs occur between May and September, with adults occurring from July to December. (NCDA&CS)
Comment: IMPORTANT NOTE: Spotted Lanternfly is a very serious invasive pest species of economic importance. It damages trees by causing them to develop weeping wounds that leave a gray or black trail of sap down the trunk. These wounds can then attract other insects and lead to the formation of fungal mats that can overwhelm a tree's defenses. While it has not yet become established in North Carolina, we have two recent records and we can expect more as this species expands and colonizes further over the coming years. Be on the lookout for adults or nymphs, an infestation of nymphs will look like this, while an infestation of adults will look like this.

If you find an adult or nymph, take a photo, kill and collect it, and contact badbug@ncagr.gov. For more information, see: NCDA&CS.

Status: Introduced
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Lycorma delicatula Spotted Lanternfly 108

Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: suchosauros
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301257258		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: patrick57056 - Patrick “Redsoxpat88” Fraser
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301185015
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: lydiakc - LydiaKC
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 317884263		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: zsmcdermott
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298739470
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 304414725		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 304414717
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: annwf - Ann Walter-Fromson
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298206936		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: mylesfinds - Myles Payne
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297996425
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: bugbench - Mary E.
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297927018		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: trisherpa92
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297896816
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: wkelly63
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 300142207		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: joshuaanderson1 - Joshua Anderson
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297427798
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: honeyfrogs
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297393903		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: paul2705 - Paul hargan
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 297071936
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: freerangefreak - Jonathan Beltz
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 300334317		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 305716095
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: emeraldsilhouette - Maya Keller
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 299515690		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: abeck365
Gaston Co.
Comment: iNat record: 299207995
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: maddiv - Maddi Vaughan
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298991439		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: j5933 - J Digital
Caswell Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298955016
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: camponotuspennsylvanicus
Craven Co.
Comment: iNat record: 321389609		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: that_snake_guy - The ADHD Animal Guy
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298781068
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: becfinch
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 298660836		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: ian76321 - ian callahan
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 316503567
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: martiseidel - Marti Seidel
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 312269908		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: meemo
Wake Co.
Comment: iNat record: 307725017
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: maddiv - Maddi Vaughan
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 302751948		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: donnysr
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 302144012
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: brookesbees - Brooke Reutinger
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301990487		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: coco212 - Jamie Simancas
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301877350
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: coco212 - Jamie Simancas
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301511098		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: coco212 - Jamie Simancas
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 301511094
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: kgrace03
Rockingham Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313041062		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 315180906
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: nitza5 - Nitza Arámbula
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 332243826		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: rosemary_foster - Rosemary Foster
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 310740371
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: samuelcmackey
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 314513525		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 310412347
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: alexruthnc99
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 307874662		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: gesrocks
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 316099029
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: jametzger - John Metzger
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 321631421		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: shieldmaidenofmacfie
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 314137628
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: nctrekkers
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313916239		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: mollisonbeth
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313880635
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: tsqaaalarab
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313623100		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: hanoldaa
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313472530
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: archerjones - Archer Jones
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 313390132		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: shoelace_mcgee
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 316098714
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: alejandro92794 - Alejandro Zayas-Ramos
Wake Co.
Comment: iNat record: 329226481		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: k1052 - Kimberly Allred
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 315416610
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: kyledash - Kyle Dash
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 316432626		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: clariflupet - Ethan
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 315159661
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: bark108
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 323523802		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: ljones618
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318498841
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: alexisdodd1 - Alexis Dodd
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318466156		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: oschapmn
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318067591
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: jestalve - Jessica Stalvey
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318190844		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: kindymycin
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318011193
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: uncgnocturnalinsectbiodiversity
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 317893877		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: john64779 - John Goulas
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 317807559
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: wrenbear
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 320711063		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: shaulea - Valerie
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 319374173
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 319514995		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: daniel16567 - Daniel Helm
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 318949281
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: guilford_nc
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 325307112		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: jknew
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 329275830
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: shariburrell
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 320288145		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: scott_bolick - Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 319779985
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: scott_bolick - Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 319779985		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: that_snake_guy - The ADHD Animal Guy
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 319456412
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: archerjones - Archer Jones
Rockingham Co.
Comment: iNat record: 334129982		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: kirstie3 - Kirstie S
Orange Co.
Comment: iNat record: 334115274
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: archerjones - Archer Jones
Rockingham Co.
Comment: iNat record: 334130026		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: scott_bolick - Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 331030580
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: alexisdodd1 - Alexis Dodd
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 328399570		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: burbnbirds - burbNbirds
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 327310265
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: froglover843
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 326470290		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: sandracooke - Sandra Cooke
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 326250077
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: stevensp
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 326380117		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: evan_lecnar - Evan Lecnar
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 325537440
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: onyxxx
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 325556759		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: that_snake_guy - The ADHD Animal Guy
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 321389370
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: nblackford - Nat Blackford
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 321109199		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: jtdriver
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 320899023
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: archerjones - Archer Jones
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 320889061		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: crookedeye18 - Casey
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 325492336
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: scott_bolick - Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 324421178		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: ana_pierina
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 325352336
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: erthywheeler - CathyW
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 324361155		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: cbdub
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 323876011
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: aapel67
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 327264106		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: that_snake_guy - The ADHD Animal Guy
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 323930909
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: strszk
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 323102525		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: gursimrank
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 322659265
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: that_snake_guy - The ADHD Animal Guy
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 322134985		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: whitney85527 - Whitney Taylor
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 322234324
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: kcosborne - Kathy Osborne
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record: 322116902		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: aqkslsoszn - Aqkslsoszn
Guilford Co.
Comment: iNat record: 322337121
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: esann123
Davidson Co.
Comment: iNat record: 330155830		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Since original discovery dozens are seen and killed daily
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Since original discovery dozens are seen and killed daily		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Since original discovery dozens are seen and killed daily
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Archer Jones
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Found as part of a study via NCSU’s forest health lab		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Archer Jones
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Found as part of a study via NCSU’s forest health lab
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Archer Jones
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Found as part of a study via NCSU’s forest health lab		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Archer Jones
Forsyth Co.
Comment: Found as part of a study via NCSU’s forest health lab
Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Abby H
Yancey Co.
Comment: found dead in the house; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/63887835		Lycorma delicatulaPhoto by: Abby H
Yancey Co.
Comment: found dead in the house; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/63887835