Does My Business Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit?

With the closing of the Purdue grain facility in Bordontown, field crops growers are sending trucks to southeastern PA to deliver grain, and produce shippers and others may be working/delivering to warehouses there too. Burlington County Agricultural Agent Bill Bamka shares the following information about shipping into or out of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) quarantine zones (including some northwestern NJ counties):

Spotted Lanternfly adult

Spotted Lanternfly adult with wings spread. Adults are about 1″ long

Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect recognized as a threat to agriculture in New Jersey and the United States. Multiple states in the Mid-Atlantic area have SLF populations and/or quarantines in place. Currently New Jersey has quarantines in Warren, Hunterdon, and Mercer counties. Pennsylvania has a quarantine area of 14 counties across the southeastern portion of the state. [Read more…]

Register Now for the North Jersey Commercial Vegetable and Fruit Grower Meetings

North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Growers Meeting

February 28, 2019

North Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

March 7, 2019

Hunterdon County Complex

314 State Rt. 12, Building #1

Flemington, NJ 08822

For registration and program details contact Cynthia Triolo at 973-285-8306 or ctriolo@co.morris.nj.us

Pesticide Credits Half Day Seminar in Gloucester County

On Wednesday, October 24th from 9:00AM to 12:00PM there will be a pesticide applicators seminar at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office of Gloucester County, located at 254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ at the Shady Lane County Complex. The following credits have been applied for with NJDEP: 4-CORE, 3-PP2, 3-3A, and 3-3B category credits. There is a $50 fee for this course and only cash or checks can be accepted.

For more information see the Rutgers NJAES Events page at http://events.rutgers.edu/njaes

Please also call Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County at 856-224-8040 ext. 1 to register. You can also email Joan Medany at jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us

Space is limited, so please register.

IPM Update 09/26/2018

There will be no maps for this edition of the IPM Update.

Sweet Corn

State-wide, European corn borer and fall armyworm have declined in the traps.  There has been little field activity for either moth.

Corn earworm

Corn earworm populations have declined, but based upon blacklight information, most areas of the state will need to continue on a 3-day silk spray schedule for late season sweet corn.  In the pheromone traps of southern NJ, the number of adult males caught has declined indicating a 4-day spray schedule in most locations.

Other vegetable crop pests:

Beet armyworm

Beet armyworm has been generally low in number throughout the summer season.  While there was an increase in trap catches for the Hammonton area this past week, it is not likely to be an economic problem.

Pepper weevil

No other field populations have been detected outside of the Hammonton area.  This will be the last note for this season regarding pepper weevil.

Hawaiian beet webworm

Hawaiian beet webworm on spinach

We have been picking up small numbers of HBWW in the blacklight traps, especially in southern NJ, in the past couple of weeks.  A field was found this week in Cape May County where the HBWW was abundant feeding on pigweed and sugar beets.  The primary host of HBWW is pigweed, but amaranth, spinach, beets, sugar beets, and chard are also fed upon.  The greenish caterpillars feed on the leaves and produce loose webbing which pulls leaves together.  As the larvae mature they become more reddish with longitudinal stripes.  Because localized populations can build up large numbers, farmers should check plantings of susceptible crops for this moth.  If spraying is necessary, refer to the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Production Recommendations for control options.

Soybean Looper in eggplant

An unusual infestation of soybean looper was found in eggplant this past week in the East Vineland area.  The caterpillars resemble cabbage looper but have more distinct white stripes and dark margins on the sides of the head.  Soybean looper can feed on a wide range of plants besides soybean, including tomato and pepper.  This situation stood out for two reasons: 1) that soybean looper was found in the eggplant, and 2) that any caterpillar infestation was found in eggplant requiring control.

soybean loopers on eggplant

Monitoring for SLF Egg Masses

Spotted lanternfly egg mass

Spotted lanternfly egg mass – photo by A.L. Nielsen

Spotted lanternfly is a new invasive species in NJ. Egg masses are brownish grey and generally laid on bark in early fall and appear like a smudge of mud. Adults are expected to start egg laying in August and continue through November or the first hard frost.

SLF eggs overwinter and can be laid on multiple hard surfaces, including fence posts, trees, patio furniture, fruit bins, landscaping stones, railway cars, etc. Due to this they can be easily transported and represent a significant risk to SLF populations spreading. Vehicles, stones, agricultural equipment, and fruit bins coming from PA or VA should be inspected for egg masses beginning in August. Within state movement is also of concern to prevent new populations. If found, egg masses can be scraped into a plastic bag and frozen to limit spread and future impact of this pest.

Spotted Lanternfly in NJ

NEW PEST ALERT

Spotted lanternfly in grape

Spotted lanternfly in grape – photo credit E. Smyers

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata, SLF) has been found in NJ. SLF is an invasive plant hopper species that could be very devastating to some NJ crops. Since its discovery in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF has been placed under a state quarantine encompassing 13 Pennsylvania counties. Populations are also present in Virginia.

SLF adults and nymphs are phloem feeders that feed in large aggregations on woody tissue. Over 65 host plants were reported in Asia, many of which grow in the mid-Atlantic area. These host plants include hardwood trees such as Tree of Heaven, black walnut, and red maple and agricultural crops such as grape, apple, and hops. Feeding occurs on the trunk and limbs of plants, not on the fruit or leaf tissues. However, because they feed in aggregations and produce large amounts of honey dew (or sugar water), sooty mold can grow on plant surface and fruit, leading to reduced photosynthesis and plant vigor. In Pennsylvania, adults and nymphs have been observed feeding in commercial vineyards on cultivated grape. Economic estimates of injury are not available but growers report direct yield losses due to sooty mold and reductions in plant health and canopy coverage. Insecticides are effective but due to the high mobility of this pest, in highly infested areas, vines should be monitored closely for new bugs. Populations and injury are higher along vineyard edges, especially near Tree of Heaven. Interestingly, SLF tends to aggregate on a few trees or vines. Survey for SLF along the perimeters of fields and on Tree of Heaven, Black Walnut, Red Maple, and wild grapevines at the edges of wood lines. Aggregations of adults were found on commercial apple trees in PA near apples harvest in 2017, so apple growers need to be diligent as well.

The adults are large (~1” long) and quite colorful with a black head, grayish black spotted forewings and reddish black spotted hind wings. Adults may start to appear mid-late July (now) and will feed through the first hard freeze in the fall. Young nymphs hatch from eggs in late Spring/early summer and are black with white spots and as they get older they become red and black with white spots. While 4th instars have been reported in NJ, adults are present in VA, so be on the lookout for all life stages.

Spotted lanternfly on tree

Spotted lanternfly on Tree of Heaven – photo by A.L. Nielsen

If you think you seen or collected a spotted lanternfly please report it the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Department of Entomology at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences by emailing slanternfly@njaes.rutgers.edu