1.

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $345,500 cooperative agreement to the Maryland Department of Agriculture on June 5, 2026, to conduct spotted lanternfly surveillance and trapping across Maryland through June 4, 2027.

The recipient will place traps at approximately fifty or more sites from April through October at locations chosen based on proximity to Tree of Heaven (a major host for the pest), proximity to economically important agricultural commodities including apples, cherries, grapes, hops, and peaches, and high out-of-state traffic areas such as rest stops and tourist information centers. Modified plum curculio-type circle traps will be installed at approximately chest height on trees and serviced at least every two weeks throughout the summer and fall. If more effective lures or trap types become available, those will be incorporated into the survey effort. All survey data will be entered into either the National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS) or the Integrated Plant Health Information System (IPHIS) as determined by program staff and reported in the Survey Summary Form and Data Requirements for Funded Surveys spreadsheet. The intended beneficiaries are residents of Maryland and the contiguous United States. Performance occurs in Maryland.

Purpose

Spotted laternfly (SLF) is an invasive planthopper that has the potential to cause major damage to several agricultural industries within maryland. This damage occurs not only directly from feeding, but also because of the sugary honeydew they produce, which encourages the growth of sooty mold. This can lead to significant decreases in the quality of the plant yields, due to the reduction in the plants' ability to undergo photosynthesis. SLF is known to cause damage in apples, cherries, grapes, hops, and peaches, among numerous other plants. Many of these are economically important agricultural crops in maryland, so our vigilance needs to be high.

Activities

For the survey, traps will be placed at approximately fifty or more sites from april through october. These sites will be chosen based upon several factors, including, but not limited to, proximity to tree of heaven (ailanthus altissima), a major host for SLF, proximity to agricultural commodities of concern, and locations near areas which receive a lot of out of state traffic (rest areas, tourist information areas, etc.). The traps will consist of modified plum curculio-type trap S (circle traps) placed on trees at approximately chest height. If lures or more effective trap types become available, these will also be used to assist in the survey effort. Traps will be serviced at least every two weeks throughout the summer and fall. Deliverables and expected outcomes: all survey data from PPA §7721 goal 1 survey funded projects will be entered into either the national agricultural pest information system (NAPIS) or the integrated plant health information system (IPHIS) as determined by the program staff, and listed in the survey summary form and data requirements for funded surveys spreadsheet on the 2020 PPA §7721 page of the caps resource & collaboration website. Intended beneficiary(IES): residents of maryland and the contiguous united states. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: unknown