The spotted lanternfly is here, and North Fork winemakers are watching out
Those red-and-black critters with the long legs scurrying around your plants and trees are not some kind of new, exotic spider.
They’re young spotted lanternflies, as troublesome as their elders, just waiting for their wings to come in. And they are all over Long Island this month.
Scientists and vineyard owners are keeping a close eye on the invasive insect with a big appetite that can weaken and even kill plants by sucking sap out of them. Earlier this week, officials said spotted lanternflies were found in the grape-growing region of the Finger Lakes for the first time.
They have a special affinity for grapes and can swarm around vineyards, potentially destroying the plants.
“This is very much a concern, that’s for sure,” said Kareem Moussoud, a winemaker at Paumanok Vineyards in Aquebogue and Palmer Vineyards in Riverhead. “We do know that spotted lanternfly nymphs have been detected in our immediate vicinity but there are no reports of infestation in a vineyard on the North Fork that I know of.”
Alice Wise, a viticulturist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, said the state Department of Agriculture and Markets found spotted lanternfly nymphs in traps in Riverhead and Calverton.
“As of right now, there have been no sightings in North or South Fork vineyards,” Wise told Newsday in an email. “We — my program assistant and I — have been keeping our eyes open as we visit vineyards and we also have traps deployed.”
She pointed out that people who grow grapes are “very aware” of the spotted lanternfly and there have been multiple programs to educate people about their threat over the years.
They are worried the voracious bug will take a bite out of the thriving economy.
About 1.2 million gallons of wine are produced annually on Long Island and about $59.2 million is spent on wine-related tourism, other than purchasing wine, according to Long Island Wine Country, a trade association.
“We are very concerned about the damage it could do to our vineyards, which are an economic engine that produce award-winning wines for our region,” said Rob Carpenter, administrative director of the Long Island Farm Bureau.
The general public has been repeatedly advised to stomp out and kill the bug immediately when they see it. In an area — such as the North Fork — where scientists are tracking its movements, they are asking people who see lanternflies to first take a photo and note their location. Then they should collect one of the bugs and place it in the freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to preserve it for documentation purposes and then report it.
Residents of Nassau and western Suffolk counties do not have to report sightings because the state has already established it has a presence in those areas.
Native to China and southeastern Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. It can fly only short distances and is usually spread by “hitchhiking” on vehicles and laying eggs on hard surfaces including firewood, building materials and kiddie pools.
“The good news is they don't bite, they don't sting, they don't even feed on other insects,” said Brian Eshenaur, associate director of New York State Integrated Pest Management and a spotted lanternfly expert with Cornell University.
Aside from Long Island, the spotted lanternfly has been seen in numerous areas including New York City, Westchester and upstate in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.
“For grapevines, we get concerned because when they're feeding, especially late in the season — August, September, maybe early October — they can remove enough of the sap that they can make that plant less winter-hardy so the vine could potentially die over the winter and not come back in the spring,” Eshenaur said.
Nymphs will be turning into adult spotted lanternflies in the coming weeks and become even more visible in the environment.
Eshenaur said the population of spotted lanternflies tends to decrease after a year or two in areas with a large population such as Long Island. Insect predators such as wheel bugs and praying mantis may be eyeing the spotted lanternfly as a new food source, another factor that could eventually lead to a decline.
Carpenter said the public can help keep an eye out for the colorful bug and check their vehicles to make sure they aren’t helping it get a ride to an area that is not already infested with them.
He urged the state government to fund and support research on how to eradicate the spotted lanternfly.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we will be OK in 2024, " Moussoud, the winemaker, said. “We are sort of bracing ourselves for next year.”
Those red-and-black critters with the long legs scurrying around your plants and trees are not some kind of new, exotic spider.
They’re young spotted lanternflies, as troublesome as their elders, just waiting for their wings to come in. And they are all over Long Island this month.
Scientists and vineyard owners are keeping a close eye on the invasive insect with a big appetite that can weaken and even kill plants by sucking sap out of them. Earlier this week, officials said spotted lanternflies were found in the grape-growing region of the Finger Lakes for the first time.
They have a special affinity for grapes and can swarm around vineyards, potentially destroying the plants.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest that is a threat to grapevines and other plants, has been seen across almost all of Long Island.
- Experts are asking people to report any sightings of the red and black bugs in the North Fork area.
- Winemakers on the East End are keeping a vigilant eye out for spotted lanternflies but believe there will not be any infestations or damage this year.
“This is very much a concern, that’s for sure,” said Kareem Moussoud, a winemaker at Paumanok Vineyards in Aquebogue and Palmer Vineyards in Riverhead. “We do know that spotted lanternfly nymphs have been detected in our immediate vicinity but there are no reports of infestation in a vineyard on the North Fork that I know of.”
Alice Wise, a viticulturist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, said the state Department of Agriculture and Markets found spotted lanternfly nymphs in traps in Riverhead and Calverton.
“As of right now, there have been no sightings in North or South Fork vineyards,” Wise told Newsday in an email. “We — my program assistant and I — have been keeping our eyes open as we visit vineyards and we also have traps deployed.”
She pointed out that people who grow grapes are “very aware” of the spotted lanternfly and there have been multiple programs to educate people about their threat over the years.
'We are very concerned'
They are worried the voracious bug will take a bite out of the thriving economy.
About 1.2 million gallons of wine are produced annually on Long Island and about $59.2 million is spent on wine-related tourism, other than purchasing wine, according to Long Island Wine Country, a trade association.
“We are very concerned about the damage it could do to our vineyards, which are an economic engine that produce award-winning wines for our region,” said Rob Carpenter, administrative director of the Long Island Farm Bureau.
The general public has been repeatedly advised to stomp out and kill the bug immediately when they see it. In an area — such as the North Fork — where scientists are tracking its movements, they are asking people who see lanternflies to first take a photo and note their location. Then they should collect one of the bugs and place it in the freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to preserve it for documentation purposes and then report it.
In an area where scientists are tracking its movements, collect one of the bugs and place it in the freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, and then report it. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Already prevalent on LI
Residents of Nassau and western Suffolk counties do not have to report sightings because the state has already established it has a presence in those areas.
Native to China and southeastern Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. It can fly only short distances and is usually spread by “hitchhiking” on vehicles and laying eggs on hard surfaces including firewood, building materials and kiddie pools.
“The good news is they don't bite, they don't sting, they don't even feed on other insects,” said Brian Eshenaur, associate director of New York State Integrated Pest Management and a spotted lanternfly expert with Cornell University.
Aside from Long Island, the spotted lanternfly has been seen in numerous areas including New York City, Westchester and upstate in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.
“For grapevines, we get concerned because when they're feeding, especially late in the season — August, September, maybe early October — they can remove enough of the sap that they can make that plant less winter-hardy so the vine could potentially die over the winter and not come back in the spring,” Eshenaur said.
Nymphs will be turning into adult spotted lanternflies in the coming weeks and become even more visible in the environment.
An adult spotted lanternfly looks much different than the bug does in its nymph stage. Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Eshenaur said the population of spotted lanternflies tends to decrease after a year or two in areas with a large population such as Long Island. Insect predators such as wheel bugs and praying mantis may be eyeing the spotted lanternfly as a new food source, another factor that could eventually lead to a decline.
Carpenter said the public can help keep an eye out for the colorful bug and check their vehicles to make sure they aren’t helping it get a ride to an area that is not already infested with them.
He urged the state government to fund and support research on how to eradicate the spotted lanternfly.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we will be OK in 2024, " Moussoud, the winemaker, said. “We are sort of bracing ourselves for next year.”
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.
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