In the summer of 2002, a beautiful little insect was discovered near Detroit, MI. The species of jewel beetle was a vibrant green, and capable of causing immense forest destruction. It was the now-infamous emerald ash borer, known for its ability to gnaw through native trees with ease. Originally from China, this invasive pest has since made its way across America, making its unwanted home throughout 35 states, including Illinois, and even some Canadian provinces. Even still, this pesky little beetle continues to chomp its way through native ash trees throughout the United States. Scientists have deduced that, despite efforts to slow down or completely stop the damage done by the emerald ash borer, these invasive beetles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Today, a new colorful insect makes its debut. Sporting bright red underwings, the spotted lanternfly is one of the newest threats to Illinois. Although not directly related to the emerald ash borer, the spotted lanternfly has the ability to wreak havoc on native plants. Like its predecessor, the brightly-colored insect originated in China, making its way to Pennsylvania in 2014 through imports. However, it is only recently that this pest has been seen in Illinois– and, more specifically, Cook County. As a non-native species, this little insect has found a way to squeeze into environments and disrupt the natural flow of the ecosystems. As an agricultural pest, it greatly reduces the yields of crops. As a landscaping pest, it attacks and weakens native species of plants that are necessary for housing birds, insects and small mammals. Predators of this species are limited, and the bright red wings of the lanternfly trick would-be predators to reconsider. Many animals with bright colors exhibit a phenomenon called aposematism, which essentially uses coloration to warn predators that the animal is poisonous and should not be eaten. However, the spotted lanternfly is not poisonous, and cleverly uses its red wings to fool birds, snakes, and other predatory insects.

The spotted lanternfly is arguably not all bad at first glance– after all, its favorite food is the invasive “tree of heaven.” So, if this little insect is taking down one invasive species, is it really that big of a deal? Unfortunately, the spotted lanternflies don’t serve as a solution to the invasion of the tree of heaven. Due to the tree’s extensive root systems, even methods that physically remove the trees by cutting or mowing them down prove ineffective. The spotted lanternflies aren’t able to damage the trees enough to effectively remove them. In reality, their existence here does more harm than good as they become more and more numerous, with more and more mouths to feed. Spotted lanternflies continue to multiply and consume entire towns throughout the east coast in swarms. While they won’t be destroying forests en masse like the emerald ash borer, they still have the ability to overwhelm and kill the plants that make up their diets, including apple trees, grape vines and walnut trees.

Spotted lanternflies pose a distinct threat to the health of trees and plants that grow many common crops. The lanternfly is attracted to a tree’s sap, which it accesses by drilling through the bark of trees. After reaching the tree sap, spotted lanternflies release a sweet-smelling liquid called honeydew that attracts other destructive insects to the tree. Insects attracted to sweet substances, namely stinging insects like wasps, are drawn to the trees as a result. The honeydew left on a tree can also cause mold to grow and affect the tree’s health while attracting more stinging insects, too. As more and more lanternflies gather on trees, more and more honeydew is let off, attracting swarms of harmful insects that can weaken the tree’s defenses. Furthermore, because they don’t have many natural predators, these pests are able to multiply quickly and threaten vast amounts of fruit crops.

So, what exactly should you do if you find yourself face-to-face with a spotted lanternfly? Since sightings of these bugs are new to Illinois, the Illinois Department of Agriculture wants people to take pictures first. Making a report of a sighting may prove helpful in stopping this invasive species from becoming a bigger problem. After you snap a quick pic, you should stomp the bugs dead. And, to help out our fellow students, sending a picture of these little critters to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Entomology may help further research.