Meet The Threats

Seneca Lake’s watershed supports vineyards, hardwood forests, and cold-water streams that depend on healthy trees and plants. Two invasive species are putting that balance at risk right now, and volunteers are our first line of defense. These two invasive species look nothing alike and attack different parts of the ecosystem, but both spread fast, and both need eyes on the ground to catch early.

Spotted Lanternfly

An invasive plant-hopper from Asia that pierces bark and stems to feed on sap, threatening vineyards, hops, fruit trees, and hardwoods across the Finger Lakes.

• Appearance: ~1 inch long, brown spotted forewings, bright red hindwings, yellow-and-black striped abdomen
• Damage: Sticky honeydew residue causes black sooty mold and attracts other pests
• Egg masses: 30–50 eggs, gray putty turning brown and cracked; found fall through spring on trees, rocks, vehicles, and equipment
• Favorite host: Tree-of-Heaven, strongly attracted and often clustered at its base or high in the canopy

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA)

A tiny aphid-like insect that arrived from Asia in the 1950s and now threatens eastern hemlocks throughout the watershed by feeding on and killing the trees that keep our streams cold and stable.

• Appearance: Look for small white, woolly ovals at the base of hemlock needles
• Reproduction: Reproduces asexually – two generations per year
• Damage: Feeds on sap at needle base, kills trees within a few years if untreated
• Why it matters: Hemlocks stabilize soil, prevent erosion, provide wildlife habitat, and keep streams cool

Spotted Lanternfly Life Cycle

One generation per year in the Northeast. Adults die off in winter, eggs hatch in spring, which means late-summer scouting for egg masses is one of the highest-impact things a volunteer can do.