Predicting the Spread of the Spotted Lanternfly

In 2014, an insect previously unseen in the United States was reported for the first time in Pennsylvania. Native to China and parts of South Asia, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) had already invaded South Korea and Japan a decade before, damaging thousands of agricultural acres along the way. Just four years later, Connecticut had its first reported sighting of this invasive species. Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) are capable of decimating vineyards through their feeding habits. This threat to grape growers comes at a time when the state’s wine tourism industry is booming. Using SLF observation data from iNaturalist along with geospatial information on transportation networks, land cover, and vineyard locations, Great Hollow’s education coordinator, Tara Ewers, is studying the spatiotemporal spread of SLF to help predict when this species will make its way into Connecticut’s vineyards. Click here to view a story map and learn more about this research (note, best viewed on a computer monitor or tablet versus a smartphone).