New sighting of invasive insect in Ontario raises concerns about its destructive spread

An invasive insect that has spread across the northeastern United States has raised concern here in Canada once again, after a recent sighting in Ontario renewed fears about its potentially devastating impact on major industries.

The spread of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has worried Canadian officials for years, and while no reproducing populations have been confirmed in the country to date, sightings have been reported, particularly in the Hamilton, Windsor-Essex, and Niagara regions.

The most recent sighting, recorded this past March in St. Catharines, Ont., was uploaded to the biodiversity social network, iNaturalist.

Photo: aidan244/iNaturalist.

Native to China, the spotted lanternfly is a sap-feeding planthopper that’s now established in several U.S. states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the species has been regulated since 2018 in an effort to prevent its introduction and spread. The agency notes that while it is not known to be established in Canada, the species poses a serious threat to the grape, tree fruit, wine, and ornamental nursery industries, thanks to its ability to feed on more than 100 types of trees and plants.

The Invasive Species Centre also warns that if the insect spreads into Canada, it could "be a formidable threat to various industries and the economy, particularly the horticulture and forestry industries."

Adult spotted lanternflies are typically about three centimetres long and 1.2 centimetres wide, with light grey wings with black spots and hind wings in a striking red colour.

According to the City of Toronto, signs of the species' presence include muddy-grey egg masses on or around host trees, dark streaks or sap flowing down the bark of trees, honeydew or insect secretions at the base of a host tree that can become covered in a sooty-coloured mould, as well as increased bee and wasp activity.

The spotted lanternfly completes its entire life cycle in one year, with eggs hatching into nymphs in the spring, and maturing through four subsequent nymphal stages until they transform into winged adults around mid-summer.

Canadian authorities continue to urge the public to report any suspected sightings of the species, with the CFIA advising a four-step approach: spot it, snap it (take clear photos), catch it (scrape off egg masses or transfer nymph/adult into a plastic bag or sealed container), and report it.