The spotted lanternfly is coming — and Long Island vineyards say they're ready

The adult spotted lanternfly, the invasive red and black plant hopper with an insatiable appetite for fruit trees and grapevines, is expected to emerge in the coming days — and Long Island’s vineyard owners say they're ready.

So far, they have been spared the wrath of these pests which can suck sap out of plants, leaving them weakened and covered with a substance that can cause mold growth. The spotted lanternfly, which is native to China, was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 and on Long Island around 2021.

"The populations around the Long Island vineyards are still building up and they are able to manage them," said Brian Eshenaur, senior extension associate and invasive species coordinator at Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management Program. "But this year it will probably be more of a challenge than it was last year as the population of spotted lanternfly increases."

Robin Epperson-McCarthy, the consulting winemaker at Osprey’s Dominion in Peconic and the owner of Saltbird Cellars, said they've set out specific pheromone traps for lanternflies this year but have not caught any to date. She did not see any last year.

Rich Pisacano, vineyard manager at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, said his staffers have been trained to look for the spotted lanternfly at all of its life stages. For example, some people have mistaken fourth instar nymphs, the stage before it becomes an adult and grows its wings, as a black and red spider.

"Up until last year, we had never really seen them," he said.

While they can cause damage by consuming more than 70 types of plants, spotted lanternflies are not harmful to people or pets. They have infested 19 states and Washington, D.C. and are known as proficient hitchhikers who can hide in car doors, bumpers, wheel wells and grills, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They also leave egg masses on trees, bricks, stones and other smooth surfaces and their favorite spot is in the invasive tree of heaven, which destroys native plants.

The state had launched an aggressive campaign asking pedestrians to stomp on any lanternflies they come across. While some New Yorkers embraced the suggestion, especially when the five boroughs seemed infested with them a few years ago, it is not a long-term solution.

Pesticides can be used with caution. Workers can also use backpack vacuums to remove them from trees and plants.

Populations can drop one year and rebound the next, said Jared Dyer, entomology specialist and educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County.

He said there have been more lanternfly reports in Riverhead, and fewer in the city this year.

"In terms of numbers, I would expect similar to last year in areas where the SLF has been present and numerous for a while, such as NYC, Nassau and western Suffolk," Dyer told Newsday in an email. "But residents in eastern Suffolk may notice more compared to the last year as the populations out east become more established."

While the lanternfly has no natural predator in the United States, some birds and insects have begun feeding on it. USDA officials are also studying whether importing a particular wasp from China that fed on the lanternflies could help.

"No one’s hoping that this would eradicate spotted lanternfly," Eshenaur said. "But at least it would bring the populations down."

Pisacano said while they will be watching for the lanternfly, he hopes hungry birds will help keep them at bay.

There’s also a debate over whether tree of heaven could serve as a natural barrier to keep lanternflies busy and away from vineyards and fruit trees or if it causes too much damage on its own.

"You’re giving them an epicenter to breed," said Epperson-McCarthy. "All the advice I've been seeing is to eliminate the tree of heaven from your property."

Roman Roth, winemaker for Wölffer Estate, said someone should look into removing the vast number of tree of heaven growing along the Long Island Expressway.

"It’s like a highway for lanternflies — a tree of heaven utopia," he said.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.