Grapes – Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

Figure 1. Adult spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) feeding on a grapevine cane in late summer. Adults are the most damaging stage in vineyards, using piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract sap and excreting honeydew that promotes sooty mold growth.

Overview

The spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, (Figure 1.) is an invasive planthopper native to China, India, and Vietnam. It was first detected in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014 and has since become one of the most serious new pests threatening viticulture and fruit production in the northeastern United States. By March 2025, established or detected populations were documented in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, see Figure 2. 

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) feeds on the sap of more than 100 plant species, including grapevines (Vitis spp.), cucumber, basil, peppers, ornamental shrubs, and numerous hardwood trees, especially Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven), a favored host that supports population buildup. While many hosts tolerate feeding, grapevines are exceptionally vulnerable. Repeated, high-density feeding late in the season removes vital carbohydrates from canes and roots, leading to lower starch reserves, reduced sugar accumulation in fruit at harvest, delayed ripening, yield losses the following year, and in severe cases vine decline or death.

In Massachusetts, SLF was first confirmed in Fitchburg (Worcester County) in 2021 and is now present to multiple counties, see Figure 3. Adult feeding has been documented on both American hybrid and European grape varieties. As in neighboring states, the greatest pressure occurs from July through November, when migrating adults concentrate along vineyard edges, trellises, and adjacent Ailanthus trees. Late season infestations can depress vine reserves before dormancy, increasing the risk of winter injury and reducing bud break vigor the following spring.

Figure 2. Show the current distribution of spotted lanternfly in the United States, respectively. These county-level maps illustrate confirmed detections and areas of known activity; however, because they are based on county reporting, SLF may only be present in localized areas within a shaded county rather than throughout the entire region. Photo Credit: Cornell University CALS. 

Figure 3. Show the current distribution of spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts, respectively. These municipality-level maps illustrate confirmed detections and areas of known activity; however, because they are based on municipality-level reporting, SLF may only be present in localized areas within a shaded municipality-level rather than throughout the entire region. Photo Credit: MDAR. 

ID/Life Cycle   

Spotted lanternfly completes one generation per year in Massachusetts, progressing through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Egg masses are laid from September through May on a variety of surfaces such as vine posts, trellis hardware, stone, or equipment, appearing as gray, then fading to brown, mud-like smears. Nymphs emerge from May through July, initially small, black, and marked with white spots. These early instars feed on soft plant tissues and may occur sporadically in vineyards. The fourth instar, present from July through August, is larger, vividly red and black with white patches, and capable of short hops or glides between hosts. Adults appear from August until the first hard frost, which usually happens in November, representing the most damaging stage for grape production. See Figure 4. 

Figure 4. Spotted lanternfly has shown to have one generation per year consisting of four nymphal stages, an adult stage, and overwintering as egg masses. Being true bugs, spotted lanternflies molt to progress between stages. Egg hatch is over an extended time period with the first instar nymphs appearing in May and June. Mating takes place starting in late August with egg laying taking place in September through November or until the first killing freeze. Photo Credit: Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Damage

Spotted lanternfly feed on plant phloem sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts, preferring hosts with high turgor pressure such as grapevines. During feeding, they consume large amounts of sap, extracting essential nutrients and excreting excess sugars and water as honeydew, which can coat vines, leaves, and vineyard structures. Heavy infestations can reduce photosynthesis and sap flow, leading to diminished carbohydrate and nitrogen reserves in roots and canes. This depletion weakens vines, resulting in lower fruit sugar accumulation, delayed ripening, and reduced yields the following season. Prolonged or late season feeding can also reduce vine cold hardiness, increasing the risk of winter injury and bud mortality.

The accumulation of honeydew supports the growth of sooty mold fungi, forming black coatings on leaves and trunks that block sunlight and further inhibit photosynthesis. Although sooty mold does not infect grape tissue or affect wine quality, heavy buildup can cause leaf yellowing, premature defoliation, and dieback of understory vegetation. There are currently no specific recommendations for removing sooty mold from vines; it typically weathers off or is removed through pruning. Growers who experienced moderate to high SLF pressure should evaluate bud viability before pruning and adjust pruning strategies, such as retaining extra buds to compensate for potential losses caused by heavy feeding.

IPM Management Strategies

Monitoring

Year-round monitoring is a cornerstone of an effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan. Continuous surveillance allows growers to detect early infestations, assess population stages, and time management actions effectively. Because SLF can overwinter as eggs and develop through several distinct life stages from spring through fall, monitoring should occur throughout the entire calendar year, with methods adjusted seasonally to target eggs, nymphs, and adults.

Winter to Early Spring (December–April)

A single female spotted lanternfly can lays two to three egg masses per year, each egg mass contains approximately 30 to 50 eggs; one female can produce 60 to 150 eggs per season. Monitoring efforts during the dormant season focus on locating and destroying egg masses, which are the only stage that survives through winter in Massachusetts. Egg masses appear as mud-like smears or patches roughly 1 inch long and may be found on tree trunks, posts, trellis wires, stones, vineyard equipment, or vehicles. See Figure 5. Growers should also inspect both natural surfaces (trees, rocks, vines) and artificial surfaces (trailers, pallets, siding) for egg clusters. Eggs should be scraped into a container of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to ensure they are destroyed. Winter egg monitoring is especially critical near known SLF infestations or along transportation corridors.

Figure 5. Adult spotted lanternfly laying eggs on a grapevine trunk (left), a newly deposited egg mass with its protective, mud-like covering (center), and an exposed egg mass revealing individual eggs (right). All egg masses were found on a vineyard trellis support post; this is an example of the smooth surfaces commonly used by SLF.

Late Spring to Summer (May–August)

The first nymphal stages hatch in May, appearing small, black, and covered with white spots. As they mature through successive molts, nymphs become larger and more mobile, eventually developing a striking red-and-black coloration by July. These nymphs feed on tender plant tissue, including young shoots and leaves, and may be observed on vineyard edges, weeds, and understory vegetation. Growers should scout weekly along field borders, vineyard perimeters, and areas adjacent to the Tree-of-Heaven. Circle traps or modified funnel traps can be installed on border trees to monitor nymph and adult activity while minimizing harm to non-target wildlife. Sticky bands should only be used if properly screened or guarded to prevent accidental capture of birds and beneficial insects.

Late Summer to Fall (July–November)

By late summer, adult SLF begin appearing in large numbers, often congregating along vineyard edges, posts, and canopy supports. See Figure 6. Adults are the primary damaging stage for grapes, feeding heavily on canes and trunks and excreting honeydew that encourages sooty mold. Monitoring should be intensified to weekly or twice-weekly scouting during this period, with particular attention paid to vineyard borders and adjacent wooded areas. Growers should document population trends and note hotspots of activity where feeding and honeydew accumulation are visible. If more than five to ten adults per vine are consistently observed, especially along edges, management action is warranted. After any control treatment, re-scout within three to seven days to assess reinfestation and treatment efficacy.

Figure 6. Heavy infestation of adult spotted lanternflies feeding on grapevines in late summer. Large congregations on trunks and canes extract sap, weaken vines, and excrete honeydew that promotes sooty mold growth, leading to reduced vigor, lower fruit quality, and increased risk of winter injury.

Year-round Recommendations

Because SLF can move between habitats and overwinter in new areas each year, MDAR emphasizes the importance of landscape-level vigilance. Monitor for SLF not only within the vineyard but also in surrounding woodlots, roadsides, and equipment storage areas. Encourage workers, neighboring landowners, and community members to report sightings to the MDAR Spotted Lanternfly Reporting Portal to assist in statewide tracking. Combining regular scouting with accurate recordkeeping and mapping of SLF life stages ensures that growers can respond rapidly to population changes and contribute to regional suppression efforts across Massachusetts.

Cultural

The goal is to reduce pest habitat, prevent establishment, and limit the movement of SLF into production areas through targeted habitat management and sanitation. Effective prevention begins with managing Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive species that is SLF’s preferred host. These fast-growing trees provide ideal feeding and breeding sites, allowing populations to build and spread rapidly. Vineyard managers should identify, map, and remove Ailanthus located within or near vineyard buffer zones to disrupt SLF aggregation and egg-laying. Removal should be performed outside of the growing season from late fall through early spring and followed by herbicide treatment of stumps to prevent regrowth. The most effective approach involves coordinating with landscape managers, growers, landowners, and local agencies collaborating to reduce Ailanthus density across an entire region. Contact your local county conservation commission or MDAR for assistance with Ailanthus outside of your control.

Sanitation and habitat awareness are vital components of cultural management. Old posts, debris, and smooth surfaces that may serve as egg-laying sites should be removed from vineyard edges. Maintaining diverse, healthy groundcover helps stabilize soil, discourage SLF congregation, and promote beneficial insect activity that supports overall vineyard health.

It is also important to recognize that grapevines are native to Massachusetts. Wild grape species grow abundantly along forest edges, hedgerows, and roadsides, where they play a key role in supporting wildlife and maintaining forest structure. However, these same ecological benefits create abundant wild host habitat for SLF, allowing populations to persist and reinvade managed vineyards even after control efforts, making area-wide monitoring and community-based management essential.

Mechanical

Mechanical approaches provide valuable, non-chemical suppression of localized spotted lanternfly (SLF) populations. Sanitation is essential to prevent the spread and minimize potential outbreaks. Inspect and thoroughly clean all pallets, harvest bins, trellis materials, vineyard posts, vehicles, and stones before moving them off-site to remove potential egg masses or nymphs. During the growing season, sticky cards and traps can be used to catch nymphs and young adults. Later in the season vacuuming, pressure-washing, or manually removing SLF adults from vines and trellis structures can significantly reduce local infestations. Growers and workers can safely pick SLF off vines by hand, as the insect does not bite or sting humans, and then kill captured individuals by placing them in a container with alcohol or by squishing them.

These methods are particularly effective during periods of high adult activity from July through November, when SLF congregates in large numbers along vineyard edges, trunks, and canopy supports. Hand removal and mechanical suppression are especially useful in smaller vineyards or organic systems where chemical options are limited. While these actions will not eradicate SLF populations, consistent implementation throughout the season helps lower immediate pest pressure, reduce honeydew accumulation and sooty mold development, and minimize the need for repeated insecticide applications. Growers should pair mechanical removal of nymphs and adults during the growing season; with regular scouting and egg mass scraping during the dormant season, to disrupt future generations and maintain effective long term control.

Biological

Although natural enemies of SLF have been documented in North America, none currently provide meaningful population control. Generalist predators such as mantids, spiders, and birds occasionally feed on SLF but do not reduce populations below damaging levels. The egg parasitoid wasp Ooencyrtus kuvanae, introduced for spongy moth control in the early 1900s, has been observed parasitizing SLF egg masses, though parasitism rates remain too low to affect overall population dynamics. Additionally, several fungal pathogens have been observed infecting SLF under certain environmental conditions, but these infections are sporadic and localized. Ongoing classical biological control research, led by USDA APHIS, is evaluating parasitoid species native to SLF’s home range that may offer long-term, environmentally sustainable suppression in U.S. vineyards.

Chemical

Organic Insecticide Options and Recommendations

For organic grape growers in Massachusetts, managing spotted lanternfly (SLF) requires a preventative and integrated approach that emphasizes early intervention, habitat management, and the targeted use of OMRI-listed insecticides. Because SLF is a mobile, sap-feeding pest with a waxy exterior, most organic products provide only moderate suppression and work best when applied directly to early life stages (nymphs) with excellent spray coverage. No organic insecticide currently provides full population control, but several options have demonstrated measurable efficacy in both research and field settings.

M-Pede® (Active Ingredient: Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids)

M-Pede is an OMRI-listed insecticidal soap approved for use in organic and conventional systems and now authorized under a Section 2(ee) recommendation for spotted lanternfly suppression on grapes in Massachusetts. It acts as a contact desiccant, damaging the insect’s cell membranes and causing dehydration. M-Pede works best against early nymphal stages (1st–3rd instars) and requires direct contact and thorough spray coverage for efficacy. The product has no residual activity, making repeated applications necessary every 7–10 days during active infestation periods. It should not be applied during high heat or drought stress to prevent phytotoxicity on grape leaves. M-Pede is particularly valuable for organic growers seeking to integrate chemical, cultural, and mechanical controls into a sustainable IPM program.

BotaniGard ES (Beauveria bassiana strain GHA)

BotaniGard contains a naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungus that infects insects through the cuticle, eventually killing them. It performs best under warm, humid conditions (75 to 85°F and >70% RH) and is particularly useful later in the summer when adults are active and environmental humidity is higher. This product works slowly, visible mortality may take 3 to 7 days and should be applied preventatively or in rotation with faster-acting materials. Because Beauveria spores are sensitive to UV light, evening or cloudy-day applications can improve effectiveness.

Additional Organic Considerations

For organic growers, application technique and timing are just as important as product selection. Because all currently approved organic insecticides for spotted lanternfly (SLF) act through direct contact or infection, achieving complete spray coverage is critical. Applications should be made using sufficient water volume and fine droplet size to reach the undersides of leaves, vine trunks, and canes where SLF often feed and rest. To maintain effectiveness and reduce the risk of tolerance, products with different modes of action, such as M-Pede followed by BotaniGard, should be rotated throughout the season. The best results occur when targeting early nymphal stages (May through early July), as these life stages are more vulnerable than adults and are typically concentrated along vineyard edges and weedy borders. Growers should also apply treatments during early morning or evening hours to minimize exposure to pollinators and beneficial insects.

Equally important is supporting the vineyard ecosystem to enhance natural pest suppression. Maintaining diverse, flowering groundcover and hedgerow vegetation encourages populations of natural enemies such as spiders, lacewings, lady beetles, and parasitoid wasps. These beneficial species can provide limited but meaningful biological control when combined with good cultural and mechanical practices. Avoiding unnecessary or broad-spectrum pesticide applications during bloom will further protect these natural predators and pollinators. Finally, organic growers should remember that SLF populations tend to peak later in the season (August–October), when adults are more mobile and harder to control. For this reason, effective SLF management in organic systems should emphasize early detection, habitat management, and season-long monitoring, rather than reactive treatments once heavy infestations occur.

Pesticide Use and Legal Considerations

As of 2025, no pesticide products are fully approved under standard labeling in Massachusetts specifically for spotted lanternfly (SLF) control on grapes. However, several products have been issued Section 2(ee) recommendations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Section 2(ee) allows manufacturers to extend a pesticide’s use to include a new pest, such as SLF, provided that the crop or site (grapes) is already listed on the main product label. These supplemental 2(ee) labels act as legally binding documents, and applicators must follow both the base label and the supplemental label exactly. Copies of both must be in possession at the time of application, and use must comply with all restrictions regarding rates, timing, personal protective equipment (PPE), pre-harvest intervals (PHI), and restricted-entry intervals (REI).

Currently, several pesticide products have active Section 2(ee) recommendations permitting their use in Massachusetts vineyards for SLF control. These include Danitol 2.4 EC, Scorpion 35 SL, and M-Pede, each with different active ingredients, use patterns, and efficacy profiles.

Danitol 2.4 EC (Active Ingredient: Fenpropathrin)

Danitol is a synthetic pyrethroid (IRAC Group 3A) with strong contact activity and quick knockdown. It is registered for use on grapes in Massachusetts and has an active Section 2(ee) label allowing its use against spotted lanternfly. Danitol is most effective against adult SLF, particularly when populations concentrate along vineyard borders in late summer and early fall. Applications should target adults directly on trunks, canes, and foliage. The product provides moderate residual activity but should be applied with care to avoid non-target impacts on pollinators and beneficial insects. The pre-harvest interval (PHI) for grapes is 21 days, and users must comply with restricted-entry intervals (REI) listed on the label.

Scorpion® 35 SL (Active Ingredient: Dinotefuran)

Scorpion 35 SL is a systemic insecticide (IRAC Group 4A) from the neonicotinoid class, labeled for use on grapes and now extended via a Section 2(ee) recommendation for spotted lanternfly control. It can be applied as a foliar spray for direct knockdown or as a systemic root or trunk treatment to provide short-term residual protection. Scorpion is especially effective against nymphs and early adults that feed on vine sap. Due to Massachusetts regulations on neonicotinoid use, Scorpion may only be applied by certified commercial applicators and should never be applied during bloom or when pollinators are active. The PHI is typically 7 days for grapes, but users must confirm the exact value on the current label.

Legality and Compliance 

It is a violation of federal law to apply any pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Applicators must have both the main product label and any FIFRA Section 2(ee) supplemental label (print or digital) in their possession at the time of application. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) recognizes and enforces 2(ee) recommendations when all label conditions are met and the use is not otherwise restricted. Many SLF-related 2(ee) uses are for commercial agricultural use only and may require a certified applicator. Because 2(ee) labels can expire or be revised, growers must verify current validity before use, and always follow PHI, REI, rate, timing, and PPE requirements. Monitor UMass Extension and MDAR updates for any changes or new SLF-specific approvals.

Date: November 2025 

Author: John Galvan, Small Fruit Extension Educator

Additional information available via:

My IPM app: https://apps.bugwood.org/apps/myipmseries/

Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project: https://massnrc.org/pests/index.htm 

Penn State University Resource: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-in-vineyards 

Cornell University CALS Resource: https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-biology-and-lifecycle

USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/slf 

This work was supported in part by funding provided by 

USDA NIFA Extension Implementation Program, 2024-70006-43566