1.

This $211,105 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) will provide rapid response support to control and contain the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) population in North Carolina. The primary objective is to manage the known infestation in Kernersville, NC to prevent the pest's spread throughout the state and into new areas. Key activities include targeted pesticide treatments, survey and detection efforts, mapping high-risk locations, and outreach to businesses and citizens to prevent movement and encourage reporting of the spotted lanternfly. The award will deliver outcomes such as management of the known population, statewide surveillance, and increased public awareness to support North Carolina's agriculture stakeholders and protect the state from this invasive pest.

Purpose

This project will provide rapid response support for control/ containment of spotted lanternfly (lycorma delicatula, SLF) within north carolina. The primary objective of this program will be management of the sole known population of SLF in the state in kernersville, NC to prevent spread of this pest throughout the state and into new states. Additional goals include outreach to north carolina businesses and citizens to prevent the movement of this pest and to encourage reporting of SLF, and survey in response to suspect SLF reports with the intention of early detection and eradication/ control of any satellite infestations. 2.

Activities

In 2024-25 we plan to conduct targeted treatments at critical points in spotted lanternfly's life cycle, with 4 treatments estimated in the kernersville area. The first treatment will likely be in april, focusing on using bifenthrin to reduce freshly hatched nymph populations prior to the flowering of host trees. The second treatment is intended for june when TOH should no longer be flowering, and we can use dinotefuran (TRANSTECT) to impact SLF populations utilizing TOH as a "trap tree." our final two planned treatments are follow-up bifenthrin applications specifically timed prior to the dispersal of SLF pre-mating and then again once SLF have settled on non-TOH hosts for mating and EGG laying. 3. Deliverables and expected outcomes: management of a known population of SLF to prevent rapid spread within north carolina or to other states resulting in positive outcomes for businesses located within the infestation area. Survey for SLF by visual survey and circle traps at high-risk locations throughout north carolina. Continued refinement of a statewide map identifying high-risk sites within north carolina as well as continuing to identify the range and locations of SLF preferred hosts (tree­ LF-heaven, chinaberry) outreach and education activities will raise awareness of the threat, how to identify and report suspect SLF to ncda & CS, and best practices to prevent the spread of this pest. We will report these and estimates for total people reached. 4. Intended beneficiary(IES): the state's agriculture stakeholders, including producers and members of the public. 5. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: none