A spotted lanternfly, an invasive species notorious for damaging crops and trees, has been sighted for the first time at Kent State University. The insect was discovered on September 10th, 2024 by undergraduate student Jackson Miller.
Miller was walking on campus from the student center over to the C parking lot when he saw the red-winged planthopper. "I knew immediately what it was, but I didn't think they were on campus yet," said Miller, who reported the sighting to faculty and squished it before adding the observation to iNaturalist.
Miller is an Environmental Studies major and a fellow at The Environmental Science and Design Research Institute. He also is a member of the Bahlai Lab of Computational Ecology, which specializes in insect ecology.
Christie Bahlai, an expert in invasive insect species and Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, confirmed the sighting. Though she recognizes the threat these pests pose to ecosystems, Bahlai admitted to a begrudging admiration. "I hate to say it, but they do look pretty cool for being such destructive little things," she said.
Spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula), native to Asia, have spread rapidly across the U.S., threatening agriculture, especially grape vines, and trees, including black walnut and tree of heaven, with their destructive feeding habits. They first arrived in Ohio in 2020, but were only spotted in Portage County earlier this year.
More information, including how to report sightings, can be found from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.