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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364682
Research Project: New Technologies and Strategies to Manage the Changing Pest Complex on Temperate Fruit Trees

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: The establishment risk of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in the United States and globally

Author
item Wakie, Tewodros
item Neven, Lisa
item Yee, Wee
item LU, ZHAOZHI - Xinjiang Research Institute

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/22/2019
Publication Date: 11/3/2019
Citation: Wakie, T., Neven, L.G., Yee, W.L., Lu, Z. 2019. The establishment risk of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in the United States and globally. Journal of Economic Entomology. 113(1):306-314. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toz259.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toz259

Interpretive Summary: The spotted lantern fly is an invasive pest in the eastern U.S. that could threaten economically important tree fruits in other parts of the U.S., including in the Pacific Northwest. Personnel at the USDA-ARS lab in Wapato, WA and Chinese Academy of Science in Xinjiang, China determined whether the insect could establish in the Pacific Northwest if introduced there. Results indicated that if introduced, it can establish in most fruit-growing regions of the U.S., including the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. In addition, forecast maps indicated that the distribution of the pest is closely aligned with that of the tree of heaven, an invasive tree species and the pest’s major host. Proactive measures including control of tree of heaven are needed to prevent the introduction of the pest into the Pacific Northwest.

Technical Abstract: Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), is an emerging pest of many commercially important plants in Korea, Japan, and the United States (U.S.A.) Determining its potential distribution is important for proactive measures to protect commercially important commodities. The objective of this study was to assess the establishment risk of L. delicatula globally and in the U.S.A. using the ecological niche model MAXENT, with a focus on Washington State (WA), where large fruit industries exist. MAXENT predicted highly suitable areas for L. delicatula in Asia, Oceania, South America, North America, Africa, and Europe, but also predicted that tropical habitats are not suitable for its establishment, contrary to published information. Within the U.S.A., MAXENT predicted that L. delicatula can establish in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, California, Washington, and Oregon. If introduced, L. delicatula is likely to establish in fruit-growing regions of the Pacific Northwest. The most important environmental variables for predicting the potential distribution of L. delicatula were mean temperature of driest quarter, elevation, degree-days with lower developmental threshold value of 11°C, isothermality, and precipitation of coldest quarter. Results of this study can be used by regulatory agencies to guide L. delicatula surveys and prioritize management interventions for this pest. Key words: spotted lanternfly, ecological niche model, MAXENT, tree of heaven