Last week, Jonathan Shields, Agriculture Inspection Manager with the Ohio Department of Agriculture's (ODA) Division of Plant Health, reported seeing first hatch of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) nymphs in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
The nymphs are whitish in color when they hatch, but quickly turn black with white spots. There are three immature stages that are black and white, with the fourth stage being red, black and white before becoming adults later this summer.
The National Phenology Network SLF Forecast is shown on this MAP
The darker yellow is predicting that hatch will be occurring this week, the lighter yellow that hatch will begin next week, and the green shade in 2 weeks. This is the initial hatch, and nymphs will continue to hatch even after the initial observation.
Stay tuned to BYGL for your SLF updates.