spotted lanternfly

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is expanding the spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine to include counties in northeast and northwest Ohio to reduce the spread of the invasive insect. The six new counties now under quarantine are: Wood, Seneca, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, and Carroll counties.

Last week, Jonathan Shields, Agriculture Inspection Manager with the Ohio Department of Agriculture's (ODA) Division of Plant Health reported seeing hatch of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Want to learn more about invasive species? Check out this program brought to you by the OSU Ohio Woodland Stewards Program.

As temperatures warm, Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (SLF) eggs laid last fall will begin to hatch later this spring. The National Phenology Network is forecasting SLF egg hatch in North America based on growing degree day (GDD), base 50F. The map below was captured on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. You can continue to monitor the USA NPN website for SLF egg hatch at: https://usanpn.org/data/maps/forecasts/spotted_lanternfly

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (SLF) continues make the news, both locally in Ohio, and across much of the eastern United States. While adult SLF are still active in Ohio, as a result of the warmer than average temperatures that we have been experiencing, numbers are appearing to decrease from earlier observations in the field. Freezing temperatures will kill the remaining adults that continue to feed, lay eggs and be a nuisance simply by their presences and the sticky sweet honeydew and the sooty mold that follows, and an agricultural pest that threatens vineyards and more.

Northcentral Ohio Extension offices offered an opportunity for Master Gardeners and community members to see Spotted Lanternfly 1st and 2nd instar nymphs up close and personal.

Spotted Lanternfly nymphs have been confirmed emerging in Cincinnati today, April 24, 2024.

Springtime temperatures keep the biological calendar moving right along. While the progression of blooms and the activity of insects aren't tied to specific dates on the calendar, but rather, it is a sequence of activity that aligns in the same order year after year. 

Many hands make light work. Corso Growers brought over 25 workers to an on-sight field trip to identify and scout for Spotted Lanternfly. That’s dedication and commitment!

Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU) is a virtual training made possible with funds from the US Forest Service, and a collaborative effort between Michigan State University, Purdue University and Ohio State University.