Tree of Heaven Serves as Devilish Host to Spotted Lanternfly

ARS researchers are helping to mitigate a destructive tree and insect that continue to spread across the United States.

With its lush tropical canopy and ability to quickly grow toward the sky, the Tree of Heaven seems as angelic as its name suggests. However, Tree of Heaven is proving to be a devil. The invasive tree is aggressive and damaging as it spreads rapidly across Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states.

The Tree of Heaven is also relentless, thriving in urban landscapes from vacant lots and alleys to railways and highways. It can also grow in disturbed soil and along steep hillsides while surviving severe temperature changes and weather conditions. Even if an individual Tree of Heaven is removed, its seeds typically spread throughout its environment, generating further growth.

  
The lush green leaves of Tree of Heaven are deceptively appealing. The tree is quite devilish, wreaking havoc on its surroundings. (Getty Images)

Not only is Tree of Heaven an environmental menace, it is also “the most favored host” of the invasive spotted lanternfly, according to Tracy Leskey, a research entomologist at the Appalachian Fruit Research Station,  Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection Unit in Kearneysville, WV.

Leskey and her team of ARS researchers and university partners are working to reduce both Tree of Heaven and spotted lanternfly populations through ARS’ Area-Wide Pest Management program. Their goal is to suppress the populations of both invasive species, increase ecosystem health, reduce the use of insecticides, and mitigate crop yield loss, all while alleviating the impact on native pollinators and plants.

David Shapiro-Illan, ARS research entomologist at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Bryron, GA, is working with Leskey and their university partners from Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Rutgers on a variety of biological controls to combat the invasive insect and tree.

“There's a soilborne fungi -- Verticillium nonalfalfae (VNA) -- that has been identified as killing Tree of Heaven in three states, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio,” said Leskey. She added that VNA is being screened as a commercialized product, which could soon be available for sale.

“If we reduce the population of Tree of Heaven, that will help reduce the population of spotted lanternfly,” said Leskey. “Also, if Tree of Heaven is infected, spotted lanternfly could transfer the infection to other trees to help with a tree’s demise.”

Spotted lanternflies cluster on a tree in Berks County, PA. Pennsylvania is one of many states experiencing population growth of the invasive insect. (Getty Images)

To combat the lanternfly, the team is looking at entomopathogenic fungi, or soil-dwelling microorganisms that can infect and kill insects, like the spotted lanternfly. Leskey said they are also studying entomopathogenic nematodes that feed on the lanternfly.

“The crop we initially would like to protect is grapes, and specifically wine grapes,” she added. “We’re already seeing an impact from lanternfly feeding in vineyards within the Mid-Atlantic region, and in other places around the country.”  

Because Tree of Heaven often grows just outside grape vineyards, providing spotted lanternflies with a welcoming host, the insects often disperse through the grapevines where they continuously feed.

“The way we selected these organisms (VNA and nematodes) for biological control, and the way we will apply them against the lanternfly will minimize impact on native species growing in the same environment,” said Leskey.

The ARS team will continue to conduct field-based evaluations throughout this project in unmanaged areas around vineyards.

“When lanternflies are in the nymphal stage, they are aggregated in specific areas like on vines and in woodsy areas,” Leskey said. Her team plans to apply spot treatments along the vineyard to combat the lanternflies, while also injecting the verticillium into the Tree of Heaven.

“We're going to be observing these vineyard sites and capturing the impact of these biological control agents on Tree of Heaven and spotted lanternfly,” said Leskey. “Throughout the project, we will continually monitor their long-term population trends.” -– by Tami Terella-Faram, ARS Office of Communications