Spotted Lanternflies were first reported in the U.S. in Berks Co., PA, in 2014. They have since spread. Last year, there were a few sightings in Brooklyn, the westernmost part of Long Island. I saw my first on Monday near the entrance to Bush Terminal Park.
Lycorma delicatula is a particularly large planthopper. Although associated with ailanthus, it will feed on at least 70 species, including fruits, hops, grapes, maples, and walnuts. It’s being treated as a serious threat to agricultural and forest health. Aggregations of them also make an awful mess because of the amount of honeydew they expel.
You can see the long tube-like mouthpart in this picture. I saw some of the early instar nymphs in Princeton NJ in May, and I was surprised how much larger the adult form is, a solid inch long and about half that wide. This PDF from the NYS DEC shows the instars and compares them with “look-a-likes” that don’t look really look like it. (But I guess for non-bug people….)
They’re definitely striking. I only saw this one. It was on an ailanthus sapling growing along a weedy fence. Sightings should be reported to the DEC. Egg masses should be destroyed by squashing them firmly with something like a credit card. For the adults, use what you can. A boot in this case.
I tried to get all three of these fledgling Green Herons to pose together, but you’ve heard of herding cats? Imagine trying to herd fresh herons.
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With some greens…
It’s rare to run into a new Odonata species in my patch. The other day, though, I noticed a large dragonfly cruising along the edges of Sylvan Water. That red abdomen was so distinctive. This turned out to be a male Comet Darner (Anax longipes).
A month ago, I managed to capture an Epitheca genus baskettail, also at Sylvan. Can’t quite take it to species level with my photos, though. Like the Comet, this one did not stop moving.
