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Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass Surveys– a virtual training for volunteer community scientists, February 21st

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Photo Credit: Spotted Lanternfly by Stephen Ausmus, USDA

Tuesday, February 21, 2023
12:00 – 1:00 PM EST

Brown Bag Webinar

Registration and additional details.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that was discovered in Virginia in 2018, and has the potential to cause significant economic and ecological impacts. Help us monitor its spread by looking for egg masses in high-risk areas. This training will cover the biology and identification of the spotted lanternfly, its current distribution, how and where to conduct egg mass surveys, and how to record data.

Presentations will be given by Lori Chamberlin and Katlin DeWitt from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

These classes are approved FMN CE.  Record hours in Better Impact under Continuing Education > All Continuing Education.  For Approved CE Organization, choose VMN-State or Chapter offered.  In Description, include the name of the class.

Spotted Lanternfly Watch Underway in Fairfax County

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Photo: Spotted Lanternfly, Stephen Ausmus, USDA

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va – While there are still no sightings of the spotted lanternfly in Fairfax County, it is getting closer, and experts are on the lookout for it. This summer the invasive pest was found in nearby Loudoun County. To reduce the spread of this destructive insect the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service has expanded the spotted lanternfly quarantine to include an additional 18 counties and cities.

Fairfax County Forest Pest Management also is asking County residents to help slow the spread of this invasive pest by being vigilant about not moving spotted lanternfly life stages when traveling through known infested areas. The spotted lanternfly is known as a ‘hitchiker’ since it is often found near railroads and inside shipments of items such as produce.

The insect feasts on more than 70 plant species, though its preferred host is the tree-of-heaven. In the Commonwealth the peach, apple, grape, and wine industries are most threatened.

Adults begin laying eggs in September and through the first few hard frosts. The egg masses are covered in a light gray colored wax that looks like mud when it dries.

Spotted lanternfly identification information with links to the quarantine area can be found on the Fairfax County web site Spotted Lanternfly. Please keep an eye out for spotted lanternfly in Fairfax County and report sightings to [email protected] or to 703-324-5304. The popular mobile app, iNaturalist, is an effective and efficient method for reporting a SLF sighting.

FMN Annual Chapter Meeting includes Lanternfly Training, December 14th

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Photo from nps.gov

Monday, December 14, 2020
7 – 8:30 pm
Request Zoom link by emailing [email protected]

Rachel Griesmer will talk about spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper new to Virginia. Rachel is an urban forester with Fairfax County Forest Pest Management Branch. She earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental biology and botany from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in forest ecology and management from Michigan Technological University. She holds certifications from the International Society of Arboriculture as a Certified Arborist as wells as a Qualified Tree Risk Assessor and has participated in suppression programs for invasive insects.

The meeting will also include the graduation of our Spring 2020 Basic Training class and an election for some key board positions.

Spotted lanternfly ID training, Today, June 26th

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Green  Spring Gardens
4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria VA
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
6:30 – 8 pm

Calling all Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, Tree Commissioners, Tree Lovers, Landscapers, Arborists and  Nature Lovers:

Join Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension service in learning to identify the invasive spotted lanternfly and its main host Tree of Heaven.

SPACE is LIMITED  please RSVP
[email protected]
or
703-324-8556