How to identify this invasive species' eggs and what to do

NEW YORK STATE (WSYR-TV) -- A "pretty bug" you might see flying by could be causing economic and ecological damage to your community.

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) has only been in New York State since 2020 but has done nothing but harm the environment it's in. The first SLF infestation was found on Staten Island in August 2020, according to the New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC).

The United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the insect is currently found in 17 states including: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The invasive species is from Asia and is known for feeding on trees. They lean towards trees of heaven, but will also settle for different plants like grapevines, maple, walnut and fruit trees.

A baby SLF, known as a nymph, is black with white spots. Before they transition into adults, the nymphs will go from black with white spots to red with white spots. During adulthood, they appear greyer with black spots.

"The black nymphs can be seen as early as April and until July. Red nymphs can be seen from July until September," said the NYSDEC. "Adults begin to appear in July and are approximately 1 inch long and ½ inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings."

Both SLF adults and babies use their mouths to suck and feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, according to the DEC. Because of this, their feeding creates stressed plants, which makes them susceptible to attacks from other bugs and diseases.

They also excrete a sticky substance that the DEC calls "honeydew." The honeydew cultivates mold growth, impacts photosynthesis and can overall hurt the growth of many plants. It also attracts swarms of other insects.

In terms of impacting humans, the sticky honeydew can get on people's clothes, hair and other surfaces while outside. The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets says if you need to remove it, it's recommended you use soap and water, and for outside surfaces, a power wash will do.

"New York's annual yield of apples and grapes has a combined value of more than $350 million, which could be greatly impacted by SLF. The full extent of economic damage this insect could cause is unknown at this time," said the NYSDEC.

During the winter, and colder parts of the year, SLF adults will have died off due to the freezing temperatures. However, this is when you can find the egg masses they left behind. They are visible from September through May.

"Egg masses tend to be about 1.5 inches long and resemble mud that has dried and cracked. They can be found on just about any flat surface, including vehicles, firewood, outdoor furniture, etc.," the NYSDEC wrote in a post on Facebook.

The DEC recommends if you believe you found a mass, take a photo, note the location and report it to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets HERE.

"Masses have a mud-like covering, that varies in color from white to tan to grey or brown. Freshly laid eggs are often shiny and appear to have a waxy coating that becomes dry and cracked over time. Old egg masses can shed their covering and look like four to seven rows of seed-like eggs, 30 - 50 eggs total," said Hannah Birkhead with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.

From there, you should scrape off and crush the egg mass. If you're able to, you can scrape the eggs and apply an oil-based insecticide.

When the NYSDEC posted the video to their Facebook many commenters were worried that they, or others may wrongfully be scraping and killing other species' eggs without knowing it.

"SLF egg masses may be confused with spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) egg masses. However, both SLF and spongy moth are pest species, so if folks scrape the wrong kind, there is no harm done," said Birkhead.

In all five boroughs of New York, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Nassau, and western Suffolk counties the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and NYSDEC are aware of the SLF population, so, they are just asking for those who find them to kill them.

As for other counties in New York, they would like to be made aware. If you don't kill it, the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets says to collect a sample and place it in the freezer with rubbing alcohol or sanitizer. Once that is done, you should kill any others in the area.

One method people have been using to capture the SLFs is by way of suctioning them up with a water bottle. The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets gives that method their stamp approval and says that way works as well.

The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets says they are working closely with USDA along with the NYSDEC and Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation on a response to SLFs in New York.