Spotted Lanternfly Alert

(Photo by Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)

Shared at the request of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection Division

Greetings from the Georgia Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Division,

The purpose of this letter is to provide additional information on the Spotted Lanternfly and to enlist your help in spotting, reporting, and killing this invasive pest.

As many of you may already know, Spotted Lanternfly was reported and confirmed in Fulton County in October 2024.  The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive planthopper that poses a serious threat to a variety of plants, including grapes, stone fruits, and hardwood trees.  They feed on a wide range of plants and secrete a sticky, sugary fluid that causes sooty mold, which can cause further damage.  Infestations have currently been reported in at least 18 states.

One of the preferred hosts for the Spotted Lanternfly is Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). These trees are often found along railway corridors, but can also be found on roadsides, in old fields and abandoned areas, and in urban environments where it was once commonly used as a landscape tree.  Please visit  https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/19053.pdf for more information on identifying Tree of Heaven.

Known as a prolific hitchhiker, the Spotted Lanternfly is very adept at using human assisted means such as vehicles, camping equipment, outdoor items, building materials, yard and garden items, and even clothing.  While the Georgia Department of Agriculture is working to monitor the spread of this pest, we urge the public to remain vigilant and to help us in the effort to slow the spread of Spotted Lanternfly.  We encourage you to take advantage of the information we have provided on our website at https://agr.georgia.gov/spotted-lanternfly, which includes ID characteristics, prevention, treatment, and other resources.  We also ask that if you do see a Spotted Lanternfly, that you:

1.     Take a clear picture.

2.     Kill it.

3.     Report it by using either our online reporting tool, visiting  https://www.gainvasives.org/slf/report/, or by scanning the QR code below:

We value all of you as partners in the endeavor to protect Georgia’s native plants, agriculture, and Georgia’s economy.  The more we can raise awareness of this and other invasive pests, the more successful we will be.  We ask that you always use our online reporting tool if you suspect you have sighted a Spotted Lanternfly.  If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact our Georgia Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Division at 404-586-1140 or email lanternfly@agr.georgia.gov. Thank you so much for your efforts!