Repellent and attractant effects of volatile essential oils and their constituents on the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

Plant-based volatile essential oils and their constituents (hereafter "volatiles") repel and attract numerous insect species, making them valuable resources for pest monitoring and control. However, few volatile-based products are available for managing the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula; hereafter “SLF”), a serious invasive pest threatening US agriculture and forestry. Although wintergreen-baited traps are used to catch SLF, we lack a robust understanding of how volatiles influence SLF behavior.

To address this knowledge gap, I conducted olfactory Y-tube choice experiments testing adult SLF responses to twenty unique volatiles and several combinations thereof. Adults were collected over two field seasons from multiple host plants and locations in York County, Pennsylvania.

My results provide evidence that SLF may be attracted to or repelled by certain volatiles, such as black pepper oil. While this suggests volatiles other than wintergreen oil could potentially be used to develop new repellents or attractants for SLF management, future research is needed to determine if SLF behaviors observed in laboratory conditions are reproducible in a larger environment, such as a vineyard.