By Emily Noh, Impact Associate
For two summers, the message about the spotted lanternfly was clear: stomp it. This call to action followed years of the species spreading across the country. Spotted lanternflies were first seen in Washington, DC around 2023. The species had first reached the United States in 2014 and quickly moved across the mid-Atlantic region, and their numbers rapidly increased in 2024 and 2025. Now, local experts see early signs that the species’ surge may be leveling off, and management is shifting accordingly.
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species native to eastern Asia and can infest more than 70 species of trees and plants (University of Maryland). As the insects feed, they excrete a sugary substance called honeydew, which coats the host plant and grows sooty mold. This mold can prevent the plant from photosynthesizing. The species’ preferred host is the Tree of Heaven, which itself is also an invasive species. Tree of Heaven’s proliferation through outcompeting native trees allows for spotted lanternflies to continue to survive, reproduce, and grow their populations.
This threat is the reason why public awareness campaigns, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, have been so visible. During the spotted lanternfly’s expansion, many state environmental agencies urged their communities of an easy objective: to stomp them. DC’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) leaned into the humor of these campaigns, posting an Instagram reel encouraging citizens to “squisherize” the pests (DDOT). Some communities even turned the effort into a digital competition. An online game called “Spotted” was developed, with local leaderboards turning pest management into community challenges (WBUR). However, some entomology experts, like Columbia University’s Bekka Brodie, question if this public “stomping” campaign began prematurely before spotted lanternfly populations were fully studied and effective management strategies were identified (Columbia University).
Today, the strategy becomes broader. Local natural resource experts share hopes that wildlife is beginning to feed on lanternflies, giving the species a natural predator and limiting their populations. Alonso Abugattas, an Arlington County Parks natural resource manager, estimates the population will stabilize within the next few years (Fox 5 DC).
Meanwhile, late summer and fall bring a different duty. This period marks when lanternflies lay eggs, meaning the advice is to scrape spotted egg masses off trees and any other surfaces they may be attached to, like outdoor furniture or vehicles (DDOT Urban Forestry Division).
While there’s no magic button to make spotted lanternflies disappear, hope of a leveling off population and natural predation could make the species a manageable part of the DC landscape.
