Garden Calendar Photo Contest!
There's still time to submit photos to our annual photo context for use in the next UMass Garden Calendar - the deadline is April 1st! UMass Extension accepts photos from the public for possible use in the annual UMass Garden Calendar. Photos must be horizontally oriented with high resolution. Submissions will be judged by the calendar team at UMass Extension and may earn a spot in a future Garden Calendar. Winning photographers will be credited in the Garden Calendar and will receive 5 free calendars.
For more details, go to: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/publications-resources/garden-calendar/garden-calendar-photo-contest.
Looking for More Information about Beech Leaf Disease?
The US Forest Service has organized an online workshop concerning beech leaf disease for April 15, 2021. There will be over a dozen presentations on topics including how to recognize symptoms, updates from state surveys and monitoring, research efforts, and preliminary information about management. SAF and ISA credits will be available.
For more information and to register, visit the USDA Forest Service's Event Info and Registration Page. Questions? Contact Cameron McIntire at cameron.mcintire@usda.gov or Danielle Martin at danielle.k.martin@usda.gov.
Be on the Lookout for the Spotted Lanternfly!
The Problem
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive, non-native Hemipteran (true bugs, cicadas, hoppers, aphids, etc.) in the family Fulgoridae (the planthoppers). This insect uses piercing-sucking mouthparts to remove plant fluids from over 103 different host plants (Barringer and Ciafré, 2020), including tree of heaven (TOH; Ailanthus altissima), apple (Malus spp.), plum, cherry, peach, apricot (Prunus spp.), grape (Vitis spp.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), American linden (Tilia americana), American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), big-toothed aspen (Populus grandidentata), black birch (Betula lenta), black cherry (Prunus serotina), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), black walnut (Juglans nigra), dogwood (Cornus spp.), Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus), maple (Acer spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), white ash (Fraxinus americana), willow (Salix spp.), and many others.
While tree of heaven is considered a preferred host, spotted lanternfly will feed on other susceptible hosts and lay its eggs on just about any flat surface. Because of this, it is very easy to accidentally move spotted lanternfly egg masses, in addition to adults and nymphs (immatures).
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources reports that single, dead individual spotted lanternflies have been detected in Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties, and that in each case, SLF that were detected were traced back to infested areas in Pennsylvania. Spotted lanternfly is not currently thought to be established and reproducing in Massachusetts. However, we need to remain vigilant because it is clear that this insect is an excellent hitchhiker and capable of moving great distances with our accidental help.
Spotted lanternfly feeding has caused mortality (perhaps in addition to abiotic factors) and losses of grape crops in Pennsylvania. Additionally, flagging and branch dieback has been observed in that state on some host trees. However the long-term impacts of spotted lanternfly feeding are not yet completely understood on all susceptible hosts. That said, this invasive insect has become a significant nuisance in the areas of the US where it has become established. Spotted lanternfly adults and nymphs produce a sugary, liquid excrement known as honeydew, which can coat leaves, plants, and other objects (such as outdoor furniture, cars, etc.) that are found beneath infested host plants. This honeydew can promote the growth of black sooty mold and also attract stinging insects, such as wasps. Adults can gather in very large numbers in managed landscapes. In summary, we do not want the spotted lanternfly to become established in Massachusetts!
Timing and Identification of Life Stages
Eggs: Overwinter and are laid starting in September and hatch in May in Pennsylvania. Freshly laid egg masses appear as if coated with a white substance. As they age, the egg masses look as if they are coated with gray mud, which eventually takes on a dry/cracked appearance. Very old egg masses may look like rows of 30-50 brown seed-like structures aligned vertically in columns.
Nymphs:
1st – 3rd Instars: Present following egg hatch from May through roughly June in PA. Early instars (immature stages; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instar) are black with white spots.
4th Instar: Present in July in PA. SLF develop red patches in addition to the black color with white spots. This is the last immature stage before they mature into an adult.

Adults: Present from July until frost kills them, usually in November and December in PA. Adults are 1 inch long and ½ inch wide at rest. The forewing is gray with black spots of varying sizes and the wing tips have black spots outlined in gray. Hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band. The legs and head are black, and the abdomen is yellow with black bands.
How You Can Help!
Keep your eyes open! Be on the lookout for any of the aforementioned life stages of this insect in Massachusetts and report anything suspicious immediately to the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) at: https://massnrc.org/pests/slfreport.aspx
MDAR has recently released some Best Management Practices for Nurseries and Landscapers, which can be found at: https://massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/MANurseryBMPs.pdf
- These BMP’s include tips for inspecting materials that may be likely to accidentally transport spotted lanternfly, including but not limited to: vehicles, trailers, shipping/storage containers, bulk/crushed stone, pallets, firewood, hand trucks and landscaping supplies, lawn furniture/decorations, nursery stock and potted plants, storage sheds and other outdoor structures, trash cans, wheel barrows, and virtually any flat surface. It is recommended that nursery owners and operators, landscapers, garden centers, and property owners in Massachusetts inspect these items and report anything suspicious.
MDAR has also released some Best Management Practices for Moving Companies and the Moving Industry, which can be found at: https://massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/SLFChecklistMovingIndustryMA.pdf
- These BMP’s include a checklist for inspecting further materials that might accidentally transport this insect, as well as an excellent photo guide depicting some of the interesting items spotted lanternflies may lay their egg masses on!
For more information about spotted lanternfly, visit:
Tawny Simisky, Extension Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program