16 August 2024
Although the selection of grownup noticed lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) is rising this month in Pittsburgh, their inhabitants does now not fit the invasion we noticed a 12 months in the past. A few of the many causes for this glad information is that native insects are consuming them.
On Wednesday Kalehism Kheshgi discovered a small praying mantis consuming a noticed lanternfly on Carnegie Mellon’s campus.
A number of species of praying mantids had been imported for pest keep an eye on: Inexperienced ones are from Europe, brown ones are from China. If the brown mantids have deep ancestral wisdom, they’ll acknowledge the lanternfly as meals from house. 😉
Spiders, yellowjackets, wheel insects and birds (together with northern cardinals!) all consume noticed lanternflies. For pictures of the devouring, see this 2022 article.