Flight Duration Capabilities of Dispersing Adult Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula

Abstract

Adult spotted lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula, launch themselves into the wind from elevated locations such as trees, lamp posts, and buildings. Individuals fly in short, successive bouts along descending trajectories of between 10 and 50 m before landing, crawling upward on a new structure, and again launching upwind. The possible physiological limits to the durations of flight-bouts, if not constrained by their poor ability to generate lift, however, remain unknown. In this study, we observed the behavior of tethered spotted lanternflies known to be prone to flight-dispersing, and recorded the number and durations of their successive flight bouts. Additionally, we recorded the flight distances and durations of similar spotted lanternflies in the field that had spontaneously taken flight or had been manually launched. We found that tethered females can perform >20 successive bouts with only 1 min between bouts when flight durations were limited to 20 s/bout. Bouts averaged 97.9 ± 11.4 s when bout durations were unlimited, with some females flying bouts lasting >400 s. Females could quickly advance upwind a distance >3000 m if the bouts of~100 s each were performed in quick succession in the field. However, adults spontaneously taking flight in the field flew for an average of only~13 s and traveled an average of 29 m before landing on the ground or on nearby objects. This information is important to determine how far a locally dispersing adult can fly before finding a suitable host to finish feeding and attain reproductive maturity.

Dispersal and Oviposition Patterns of Lycorma Delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) During Oviposition Period in Ailanthus Altissima (Simaroubaceae)

“…Indeed, SLF has been reported to show descending ight behavior and short-range dispersals with each ight-bout ranging from 20 to 40 m in eld conditions. 26,29 Interestingly, one marked SLF in this study was found to have dispersed at least 1.7 km within 22 days suggesting strong dispersal capacity during its oviposition period. Although it has not been evaluated in eld conditions, Wol n et al 29 suggested that the potential ight distance of SLF could be > 3 km based on laboratory observation.…”

Dispersal and oviposition patterns of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) during the oviposition period in Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae)

“…The minimum dispersal distance of marked SLF ranged between 10 and 60 m in most cases. Indeed, SLF has been reported to show descending flight behavior and short-range dispersals with each flight-bout ranging from 20 to 40 m in field conditions 29 , 30 . Interestingly, one marked SLF in this study was found to have dispersed at least 1.7 km within 22 days suggesting strong dispersal capacity during its oviposition period.…”

“…Interestingly, one marked SLF in this study was found to have dispersed at least 1.7 km within 22 days suggesting strong dispersal capacity during its oviposition period. Although it has not been evaluated in field conditions, Wolfin et al 30 suggested that the potential flight distance of SLF could be > 3 km based on laboratory observation.…”

Performance and host association of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) among common woody ornamentals

“…The basis for oviposition preferences is not always easy to empirically verify 31 . Some L. delicatula researchers think that females lay most of their eggs in the vicinity of where they fed to fatten up and become reproductively mature because it’s harder for them to fly once they’ve gained so much weight 33 . Alternatively, as is evident in some insects and mite species 31 , 34 , L. delicatula may be following a strategy where females do not necessarily oviposit on suitable hosts to make it harder for predators to find their eggs and early instars.…”