5 September 2025
Proper now grownup noticed lanternflies are flying to search out one another and their host plant, Ailanthus, to mate, lay eggs and die. In Pittsburgh we had a significant invasion in 2023 from mid August to mid September however they’re not so unhealthy this yr, as anticipated based mostly on their preliminary North American invasion in Jap Pennsylvania. There’s extra to study from that preliminary invasion together with lists of their prime chook and bug predators.
#1 Fowl: Chickens! Yard chickens eat much more than grain and are identified to gobble up noticed lanternfly nymphs once they discover them. The nymph part ran from June to late July in Pittsburgh this yr.
Wild Birds: Loads of birds have discovered that noticed lanternflies are good to eat together with visiting warblers. The highest predators, nonetheless, are resident birds and one migratory species that leaves for the winter, proven within the slideshow under. All of them catch each nymphs and adults: Northern cardinals, grey catbirds, blue jays and tufted titmice.
Birds which are High Predators of Noticed Lanternflies in Pennsylvania based on PSU examine
High Bugs: In March 2025 Penn State Agricultural Sciences printed a examine on predatory bugs that eat noticed lanternflies. They discovered a new-to-me prime predator, the spined soldier bug.
We then examined 10 commercially out there or simply field-collected generalist predators to find out if these potential organic management brokers may scale back L. delicatula populations. Spined soldier bugs (Podisus maculiventris), Carolina mantids (Stagmomantis carolina), and Chinese language mantids (Tenodera sinensis) had been the best at lowering prey populations, indicating they’ve promise as efficient pure management brokers.
Spined soldier bugs (Podisus maculiventris) are native bugs that resemble brown marmorated stink bugs from Asia, besides that these eat bugs not vegetation. They’re referred to as troopers as a result of they collect in teams to assault and kill their prey. Superior!
Right here’s an grownup. Discover the resemblance to the stink bug.
And right here’s a nymph consuming a caterpillar.
The subsequent best insect predator of noticed lanternflies is the Chinese language praying mantis (Tenodera sinensis) which naturally acknowledges their fellow Asian insect meals.
Learn extra about insect predators at Penn State’s Pure insect predators might function allies in noticed lanternfly battle.
The Cleveland space might discover this information fairly helpful as they’re swamped with noticed lanternflies this month.
