Recently, news articles have been popping up across the country indicating that the spotted lanternfly has returned to many states in the U.S., including Iowa. This information is inaccurate and does not represent the status of the insect in the state.
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that was first detected in the United States in 2014 in Pennsylvania. Although its favorite plant is tree of heaven (another non-native species), it feeds on over 70 other species of plants, including fruit crops and ornamentals.
In Iowa, two immature individuals of spotted lanternfly were detected in 2022, but follow-up surveys and scouting have returned no additional individuals. Thus, there is no currently known population of spotted lanternfly in Iowa.
We do encourage Iowans and individuals in other states to stay vigilant and report any potential sightings with images or by collecting the specimen(s). Suspects can be reported to the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic or the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
For more information on identifying different life stages of spotted lanternfly, visit the USDA APHIS webpage where you can learn more about current locations and prevention efforts.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on April 21, 2025. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.