Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/654468
38 MARCH 15, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com three and four, it acquires a red warning color with white patches. The fourth instar nymphal spotted lanternfly molts to become a 1-inch long and half-inch wide, winged, sexu- ally mature moth. Its front wings feature a red color along the edges and black blocks surrounded in gray toward the tips; back wings are tipped with black with a white band in the middle and a red and black spotted section at the bottom. Good news for growers is early instars do not appear to damage grapevines. More good news: there is only one generation per year. "That means, assuming that our observations of their weak flying ability implies only modest mobility during the growing season, if you knock them down once in the season, you may not have to make another application to control them a second time in the same year," Saunders said. Despite having wings, the adult spotted lanternfly is not very mobile. To date, very few have been observed moving from surrounding forests into vineyards. Once developed, a good integrated pest management program will determine if a vineyard has an infestation, as well as the age and size of the infestation and timely applications to control it, including whether it would be profitable to control younger populations. Saunders and Smyers are working to develop an effective integrated management program for this pest, a major emphasis of their research. Two studies In an attempt to determine its threat to the grape industry, Saunders and Smyers collected egg masses in April and in October and November. Returning to Penn State, they put them into a quarantine room, storing them in a refrigerator with temperatures between 5° and 7° Celsius (41° and 45° Fahrenheit). Later, the chilled egg masses were placed in rearing cages at room temperature. It took an average of 18.7 days for the masses to hatch. Once hatched, they transferred The first instar phase of the spotted lanternfly is characterized by white patches on black bodies. At this phase, lanternfly nymphs show no interest in eating grapevines. Immediately before molting into sexually mature adult moths, fourth instar phase nymphs develop a taste for grapevines. PHOTOS BY ERICA SMYERS, PENN STATE As the insects consume liquids from beneath the bark of plants they feed upon, they consume the proteins they need and excrete waste carbohydrates — called honeydew — in large quantities. Frostbuster and FrostGuard The Ultimate Form of Frost Protection and Pollination! Frost protection for your fruit crop will protect against night frost regardless of wind speed or inversion layer. Positive test results to as low as 25°F. Ideal frost protection for 2.5 acres to 20 acres. Affordable & Portable. The FrostGuard: the most flexible The Frostbuster: the most economical Our Frostbuster and FrostGuard not only protect your crop against night frost, they also improve the fruit set and pollination. is is an important advantage that we can o er you through our proprietary products. No one else can. Contact us for more details. Agrofrost USA LLC Williamson, NY 14589 (315) 945-7202 or (315) 576-5067 www.AgrofrostUSA.com Paige Equipment Sales & Service Inc Rt 104 E., Williamson, NY 14449 (315) 589-6651 www.paigeequipment.com Oesco, Inc. P.O. Box 540, Conway, MA 01341 (800) 634-5557 Southwest Ag Specialties Leveland, TX (806) 229-2100 Hermans Mobile Service 2875 Maple Valley Rd., Suttons Bay, MI (231) 256-0065 Agrofrost Canada Tillsonburg, Ontario (519) 777-0446