About this Research Topic

Background

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a pest of tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) from China. As an invasive species, it was first detected in South Korea in 2004 and in Japan in 2009. Since the introduction to Pennsylvania in 2014, it has spread to 10 additional states in the U. S. As a polyphagous pest, it also feeds on grapes and >100 other plant and tree species. Feeding on phloem tissue by nymphs and adults causes weeping wounds to the hosts, resulting in branch wilt and tree/vine mortality under heavy infestations. Large amounts of honeydew excreted during the process promote sooty mold on trunk and leaf surfaces of trees and understory plants, hindering photosynthesis and contaminating agricultural and forest crops. Mold-contaminated products are generally deemed unmarketable. Significant damage in vineyards has been recorded in South Korea and the U. S. It is a serious threat to the multibillion-dollar grape, wine, fruit, nursery, landscape, and hardwood industries worldwide.

Managing spotted lanternfly population in the field is difficult since tree-of-heaven is one of the most widespread invasive alien plant species in Europe and North America, while more than 7 million hectares of grapes are cultivated globally. The lack of rapid and accurate survey and detection tools creates problems for quality decision-making. Host hopping during the season further complicates population monitoring programs as different life stages can survive on multiple hosts. Spontaneous long-distance migration may render localized eradication and control attempts ineffective. Limitations in available management options make large scale application almost impossible. On the other hand, field populations continue to expand as the result of natural dispersal and human-aided spread. Factors affecting population trend still need to be figured out, despite concerted efforts by scientists in recent years. Cutting edge research and paradigm shifting approaches are urgently needed to prevent new infestations and to mitigate economic loss in currently infested areas.

The goal of this Research Topic is to address the knowledge gaps in biology and ecology for effective management of this invasive pest. This Research Topic welcomes original research articles and reviews that will contribute to the understanding of its seasonal development and population dynamics on tree-of-heaven and other hosts in the field. We are particularly interested in articles that describe novel surveys and detection methods, inter and intra-specific movement, short and long-distance dispersal, pheromones and hormones, chemical and biological control efficacy, and natural mortality factors.

Potential sub-topics include, but are not limited to:

• Morphology, phenology, and behavior
• Overwinter ecology, diapause, and laboratory rearing
• Seasonal development, cumulative degree-days, and life history
• Early detection and rapid response procedures
• Oviposition selection and host preference
• Genetic diversity, population structure, and sex ratio seasonality
• Attack patterns, damage evaluation, and risk assessment
• Lure and trap development, trapping techniques, and chemical ecology
• Spatial distribution, inter and intra-specific congregation, and population dynamics
• Model-based distribution, spread potential, and dispersal ability
• Host removal, herbicide treatment, insecticide studies, and chemical control
• Natural enemy survey, insect pathogens, and biological control

Keywords: Survey, Detection, Host and damage, Population Dynamics, Chemical Control, Biological Control, Invasive Species

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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