Pennsylvania lost an estimated $49 million to $99 million in a single year to the spotted lanternfly, and Mississippi State University Extension entomologists now warn the same pest could reach the state's vineyards and orchards next. The invasive insect has not yet been detected in Mississippi. But repeated collections in Georgia and Tennessee show it is adapting to the Southern climate, and Extension scientists are asking growers and homeowners to watch for it.

Jermaine Perier, an MSU Extension entomologist who covers insect pests of fruits, vegetables and nuts, put the risk plainly.

"Mississippi has several small-scale fruit production areas that would suffer from this insect if it made its way into the state," Perier said. "However, because these farms and gardens are small, the impact from this pest can potentially be missed if the public is unaware that they should watch for it."

The October 9 advisory from the Mississippi State University Extension Service frames the threat in dollars and in biology. In states already infested, the lanternfly has become a key pest of grapes, apples and peaches, requiring ongoing monitoring and management. The 2019 Pennsylvania figure remains the latest statewide economic reference, so current losses could run higher or lower, Perier noted.

What does the lanternfly threaten most?

Mississippi's grape industry sits first in the line of fire. The sector has been expanding, and vineyard owners in other states have already documented the damage pattern: reduced vine vigor, depleted starch reserves, lower fruit quality and higher management costs.

The state also hosts at least three to four other plants that can support the insect, including red maple and Virginia creeper.

"Because we have multiple hosts, management will be very problematic without early detection," Perier said. "A lot of our larger vineyards are in the coastal region, which might not benefit as much from frost seasonally knocking back this insect, should it be established."

That coastal detail matters for margins. Vineyards that cannot count on hard frost to suppress the pest face an added line item for scouting and treatment, on top of existing input costs.

How does it spread?

Egg masses do the traveling. Each mass holds 30 to 50 eggs, measures about an inch long, looks like a flat spot of mud and sticks to smooth surfaces: trees, bricks, stones, fences, grills, equipment and vehicles.

"This means they can very rapidly be transported across the country," said Zia Williamson, an Extension entomologist who focuses on pests of ornamentals, forages and turf. "This is the main way they spread, and you can bring them into the state if you are traveling to or from or even through other areas that may be infested with spotted lanternflies."

Masses are visible in fall, winter and spring. Travelers leaving Georgia, Tennessee or other infested states should inspect and clean their vehicles, especially from July through October when the insects are most active.

How to identify it

Adults run about an inch long and a half-inch wide. Brown forewings carry black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Hind wings show scarlet with black spots, plus white and black bars. The abdomen is yellow with black bars.

Nymphs are wingless, black with white spots for most of their immature stage, turning redder at the final stage. They measure an eighth of an inch to a half-inch, feed in large groups and jump when disturbed.

In residential areas, the lanternfly feeds on sap of hardwood trees and favors tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, itself an invasive species. Williamson said most home-landscape concern stems from the mess rather than direct harm: the insects excrete honeydew, a sugary coating that promotes black sooty mold and, in volume, ferments with a vinegar-like odor.

What should growers and homeowners do?

• Photograph or capture suspected adults and nymphs in rubbing alcohol.
• Contact the local Extension office with any suspected find.
• Once identified, scrape egg masses into a zip-close bag with alcohol-based hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol and dispose of them in the trash.
• Crush adults and nymphs.
• Check trees of heaven in home landscapes as likely gathering points.

Perier tracks the pest's southern march closely. It was first found in the North and Northeast and held at Virginia for years. Atlanta marks the furthest south of recent finds, a boundary he expects could move.

"With the repeated collections in Georgia and Tennessee, it can be said that the insect is adapting to the Southern climate," Perier said.

For growers, the practical question is what early detection changes: it keeps a manageable scouting problem from becoming the kind of multi-host, multi-season infestation that Pennsylvania growers still pay for. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website carries current distribution maps and prevention guidance as the Southeast collections continue.