#native fungi

[troythecatfish]

[chlorophyll-and-chitin]

Macrolepiota clelandii

25-JUL-2025

Lysterfield Park, Melbourne, Vic

[symbiotic-science]

Destructive plant pest thwarted by two native fungi

Cornell University-led research reports that two local fungal pathogens could potentially curb an invasive insect that has New York vineyard owners on edge.

Cornell University-led research reports that two local fungal pathogens could potentially curb an invasive insect that has New York vineyard owners on edge.

The spotted lanternfly feeds on more than 70 plant species, including grape vines and apple trees.

Now, the paper, "A pair of native fungal pathogens drives decline of a new invasive herbivore," led by Eric Clifton, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Cornell professor of entomology and co-author Ann Hajek, describes how two unrelated fungi - Batkoa major and Beauveria bassiana - have been decimating spotted lanternfly populations near Reading, Pennsylvania.

"The finding is important because these naturally-occurring pathogens could be used to develop methods for more environmentally-friendly control of this damaging invader," Hajek said.

"It's a great example of how a major new invasive herbivore can be suppressed by native pathogens," Clifton said. "Nobody stepped in to do this; it all happened naturally."

Native to China, Taiwan and Vietnam, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014 and has spread to seven more states. Adult insects occasionally have been sighted in New York, but there are no signs yet of large populations. Entomologists and growers believe it's just a matter of time before spotted lanternflies settle in New York, which boasts a nearly $5 billion grape, grape juice and wine industry, and also stands as the country's second-largest apple producing state. In Pennsylvania, spotted lanternflies damaged at least a half-dozen vineyards from 2017 to 2018. While there are no reports of spotted lanternflies infecting apple orchards in the U.S., the insects have damaged apples in Korea.