Spotted Lantern Flies

Spotted Lanternfly Sightings- Madison, NJ

Figure 1: Shows Spotted Lanternfly Sightings in Madison, NJ from iNaturalist observations recorded from 2020-2023 (Individual sightings are indicated with red points).

Introduction

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive specie of great concern. This insect which is native to China, India and Vietnam was first introduced to the northeast united states in 2014. In 2018 This species was first found in NJ in 2018. The NJDA and NJ Agricultural Experiment Station work to provide information about the management of this species. These two agricultural organizations have a vested interest in the control of this species because it is known to destroy crops by feeding on them. Additionally, the Madison Sustainability Committee and  Madison Shade Tree Management Board are concerned with the Spotted lanternfly population as they have the potential to harm tree populations.

Data

Much of the management of this invasive species in Morris County comes in the form of individuals within invaded communities killing SLFs or their eggmasses. As such the data displayed in this map comes from iNaturalist, a platform in which individual citizen scientists can upload their observations of wildlife. 

Results

According to iNaturalist, there were seven recorded sightings of the Spotted Lanternfly in Madison, New Jersey. Sightings were recorded by individuals, and were observed from October 2020 through August 2023. 

Conclusion

This information is critical as spotted lanternflies pose a major threat to native plant species. By harming native plants, this in turn harms wildlife that rely on those native plant species. Continued recordings and mapping of spotted lanternflies will help us observe whether this species is growing or declining. Another factor that could impact the ecosystems in Madison include other invasive species such as the House Sparrow, House Finch, European Starling, Garlic Mustard and Japanese Stiltgrass, which have also been observed in this area. By knowing where invasive species are, organizations are better equipped to take action.

About the Data

Thank you to those who have contributed data on spotted lanternfly spottings to iNaturalist. These include the following users: Lyla R. Meader, Msgarts, John Carlson, gwt2102, michellehs13, jms252, and pigeonandtonic. iNaturalist is an accessible platform which allows any individual with a smartphone to identify wildlife and contribute data to a wider dataset. Observations are confirmed by experts and given a “research grade” tag to ensure the observations are correct.

Authors: Haley Weber and Mia Hwang September, 2023, to see a one slide summary of this information Click here.

Spotted Lanternfly, Photograph by Kitty Kono, Flickr