Preparing for Pests

Problem

What can be done to minimize spotted lanternfly populations?

• The invasive, nonnative spotted lanternfly poses a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, landscapes, and natural ecosystems, particularly with increasing populations of recently hatched nymphs feeding on various host plants important to the state's economy.

Findings

Researchers investigated the probability of egg hatch based on the weather conditions and temperature.

• In controlled lab studies, the team evaluated sets of 30 individual egg masses at 5 constant temperatures. During field studies, they observed 112 marked egg masses throughout May and June for the emergence of first-instar nymphs.
• Egg developmental rate increased as the constant temperature increased. The findings led to the development of an online tool to predict egg hatch based on weather conditions and location.

Impact

Predicting when spotted lanternfly eggs will hatch can help with control tactics to reduce nymphs.

• Citizens and the agricultural industry can use the tool to make decisions about timing and management strategies. Government agencies, university researchers, and extension professionals can use it for surveillance efforts.

Research Credit

Team

• Erica Smyers, Julie Urban, Andrew Dechaine, Douglas Pfeiffer, Stephen Crawford, Dennis Calvin

Participating Department

• Entomology

Partners

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Penn State Center for Environmental Informatics

Competitive Funding

• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Federal and State Appropriations

• USDA NIFA Hatch Project PEN04576, Accession #1004464

Emerging Disoveries

New model predicts spotted lanternfly egg hatching

June 30, 2021

Research conducted by scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has led to the creation of an online tool that can help predict seasonal egg hatch for spotted lanternflies.

Published Research

Spatio-Temporal Model for Predicting Spring Hatch of the Spotted Lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae).

• Smyers, E. C., Urban, J. M., Dechaine, A. C., Pfeiffer, D. G., Crawford, S. R., & Calvin, D. D. (2021). Spatio-Temporal Model for Predicting Spring Hatch of the Spotted Lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae). Environmental entomology, 50(1), 126-137. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa129