I had my first experience with Spotted Lanternflies in 2021 here in NYC. At that time, the only ones I saw were adults. This year, I've had the [dis]pleasure of discovering the nymphs.
Meet the fourth instar nymph, active in late summer:
It looks so innocent. Not so!
It turns out these little suckers can jump with lightning speed and can take down a foolish human, as I learned the hard way last week, as seen in this video.
I couldn't hurt a fly.
Starting in mid-July, I began finding the nymphs infesting Trees of Heaven everywhere I went. The trees, like the Lanternflies, are invasive species and are apparently a favorite habitat for the insects.
This video shows them crawling all over the trunk of a Tree of Heaven in a Queens cemetery.
After shooting the video, I found them crawling all over me as well.
I have to say, I do find them beautiful. The red/black/white color pattern is really attractive and they're interesting to watch as they crawl around.
After living for a while as a nymph, the Spotted Lanternfly molts its juvenile body and emerges as an adult. In the photo below, the adult moth shakes off its old exoskeleton and unfurls its wings. Its body is petal pink, like a cherry blossom, but will soon turn beige with red patches and black spots.
The process is slow and the Lanternfly is very vulnerable at this stage. Here is a brief video clip of molting in action:
You can learn more about Spotted Lanternflies on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.
If you see any Spotted Lanternflies, it's helpful to report them on iNaturalist where their infestations can be tracked.
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