Research Associate Professor Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania
The invasive spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is highly polyphagous and is known to damage important specialty crops, especially grapevine, Vitis vinifera. Young nymphs (1st- 3rd instars), older nymphs (4th instars), and adults were recording while probing on grapevine, var. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Probing was interrupted during waveforms of interest, tissues were excised and processed for microtomy, and sections were observed and imaged using light microscopy. As such, probing behaviors were correlated with stylet tip locations within the host plant during probing. Our results include the first micrographs of salivary sheaths and salivary deposits in relation to host tissues and correlated to probing behaviors for any life stage of L. delicatula.