USDA asks Hoosiers to stop spotted lanternfly, spongy moth. Here's what to do if you see them

Karl Schneider, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read
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Robins and daffodils are a good sign spring is here, but Hoosiers should also be on the lookout for invasive species to keep nature healthy.

The USDA is asking Indiana residents to stomp out pests and keep an eye out for eggs masses from the invasive spotted lanternfly and spongy moth.

“Look for invasive pest egg masses during late fall, winter, and early spring on outdoor surfaces like tree bark, cars, and items you store outside,” USDA’s Mathew Travis said in a news release. “When you find them, remove them to keep them from hatching in the spring, or worse, hitchhiking on the cars we travel in, or the firewood and outdoor gear we move to new places.”

What is a spotted lanternfly?

The invasive insects have been spotted in multiple counties across the state with recent populations discovered in Elkhart, Porter and St. Joseph counties last fall.

Lanternfly eggs will hatch in the next couple months as spring arrives. The eggs are typically found on the Tree of Heaven, which is also invasive, but can be found on tree trunks and even the sides of buildings.

The invasive insect can damage fruit orchards, nurseries and logging and wine industries by destroying crops.

Spotted Lanternfly egg masses carry even rows of many eggs. These invasive species can be found mostly on the Tree of Heaven. The USDA is asking Hoosiers to destroy any spotted lanternfly eggs or adults they spot.
Spotted Lanternfly egg masses carry even rows of many eggs. These invasive species can be found mostly on the Tree of Heaven. The USDA is asking Hoosiers to destroy any spotted lanternfly eggs or adults they spot.

What is a spongy moth?

These used to be called gypsy moths and are one of North America’s most harmful forest pests, according to the Indiana DNR.

The moths have lived in Europe and Asia for thousands of years but were accidentally introduced to Boston in the 1860s.

Spongy moths feed on foliage of many plant varieties but prefer oak trees. High populations of these moths in a small area can eat the leaves off an entire tree, and ultimately kill it.

The Spongy Moth, also known as the Lymantria dispar dispar, and formerly called the European gypsy moth, is an invasive species that feeds on 300 different types of trees and shrubs. The spongy moth is deemed a hazard by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Spongy Moth, also known as the Lymantria dispar dispar, and formerly called the European gypsy moth, is an invasive species that feeds on 300 different types of trees and shrubs. The spongy moth is deemed a hazard by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Why should the invasive eggs be destroyed?

The spongy moth and spotted lanternfly are destructive invasive insects. They attack hundreds of native tree and plant species in the state.

The pests can hitchhike unnoticed on trucks, cars, trains and planes, making it easy for them to spread to new territories.

The invasive pests have few natural predators, letting them easily survive in places they don’t belong.

USDA tips for helping nature

Any Hoosier can have a large impact removing these invasive species. Here’s what the USDA recommends:

  • Smash and scrape spongy moth and spotted lanternfly egg masses during late fall, winter, and early spring, when these pests are dormant in their egg mass life stage.

  • If you live in a quarantine area for either pest, your state department of agriculture will have guidance posted specific to your area.

  • If you are passing through or leaving a spotted lanternfly or spongy moth quarantine area, check your vehicle, and your belongings for all life stages of these pests.

  • If you are moving outdoor furniture or a recreational vehicle and camping equipment, check for flat, mud-like spotted lanternfly egg masses. Spongy moth egg masses are fuzzy, spongy, and cream or brown-colored. If you find these pests in quarantine areas, smash them, and scrape them off, so that you don’t accidentally move them to new places.

  • Don’t move untreated firewood to new places. It can easily introduce invasive pests that kill or defoliate forests. Source firewood where you will burn it or buy certified, heat-treated firewood before you travel.

  • If you live in an area where these pests are not established and see a spotted lanternfly, spongy moth, or any of their life stages, please report the sighting to your state’s department of agriculture.

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Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana invasive: Spotted lanternfly and spongy moth eggs sacs spread pests