Posted Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

In July 2022, a new population of spotted lanternfly (SLF) was identified by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology (DEPP) in Huntington.

This invasive insect feeds on more than 70 plant species and has one generation per year in Indiana. Each fall, adult insects lay egg masses with 30 to 50 eggs each. You can help DEPP to locate new populations by looking for overwintering egg masses (gray-colored, flat clusters) on trees, cement blocks, fences, and any other hard surfaces in your neighborhood.

If egg masses are found, take a photograph, smash them, and then scrape all eggs off the hard surface using a plastic card or putty knife. If you think you have identified SLF egg masses, please send a photo reporting your find along with your address and contact information to depp@dnr.IN.gov.  

For more information, please visit www.in.gov/dnr/entomology/pests-of-concern/spotted-lanternfly/.