Spotted Lantern Fly has been spotted

By Jack Costa

t was 1862 when Monsieur Borty destroyed the world. That is, the wine world.

One morning the Roquemaure wine merchant suddenly received a package from his American friend, M. Carle. The contents of the package, as Borty soon discovered, were wine grape cuttings… But not just any cuttings, Native American grapes. Naturally, Borty planted the cuttings in his garden and watched as they grew and flourished. Unbeknownst to Borty, something else had also taken root and begun to flourish… And unfortunately, Monsieur Borty will be forever be synonymous with starting the greatest catastrophe the wine world has ever seen.

Phylloxera. A nearly invisible yellow louse, native to North America, had managed to survive a transatlantic voyage with the grape cuttings. But unlike American vines, European grapes are physiologically and biologically incapable of fending against the aphid that fatally wounds the vine by feeding on its root system.

The once lush green canopies of vineyard surrounding the countryside began to turn brown, before dying and becoming black with rot. Within a few years, thousands of acres of vineyard across Europe were ravaged by the pest, turning iconic wine regions into viticultural graveyards. The pest seemed invincible as it plunged Europe into social and economic devastation. The global wine industry was going extinct. Was this the end? Every method to contain or eradicate the louse was attempted, but to no avail. At the darkest hour however, Charles V. Riley, an entomologist from Missouri, miraculously discovered the solution by grafting American grapevine rootstock to European vines. Even 150 years later, this remains the gold standard for protecting European wine varieties from Phylloxera.

Fast forward to September 2022.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announces the presence of a invasive species in Oakland County: The Spotted Lantern Fly. Present in the United States since 2014, the Spotted Lantern Fly was discovered in Pennsylvania before appearing in the nearby states of New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, and New Hampshire. Feeding on the sap of trees, shrubs and a variety of other plants, the fly leaves a sticky honeydew substance that attracts other undesirable insects and promotes mold growth. And while it prefers feeding on “Trees of Heaven”, an invasive tree from China, the Spotted Lantern Fly does impact several fruit crops, including the precious wine grape.

Growers in Michigan and beyond have expressed deep concern as the negatively impact their fruit during harvest and degrade the quality of the potential wine. As the insect feeds and steals nutrients from the tissue of the vine, photosynthesis is inhibited, leading to underripe fruit. By feeding, the can also severely weaken and even fatally wound the vine. Some producers have claimed the SLF has resulted in losing 1/3 to nearly half their total annual crop production.

The fly reproduces by laying egg masses that are easily identified by a foamy textured clump similar to dried mud. One of Michigan’s saving graces, however, might be its cold winter weather as adult SLF aren’t capable of surviving the first frost. Their egg’s, however, are more resilient and can survive surfaces as cold as 12-14 degrees Fahrenheit. Authorities urge people to kill the fly and destroy eggs if spotted and record the location to help monitor its spread. More indepth research is underway to combat its devastating impact on the environment. This includes spraying trees and vines with special insecticides, using netting, and utilizing traps to capture adults.

Thankfully, Michigan has only just begun to experience the effects of the SLF, giving growers time to learn and prepare for the future. And while the fly is likely a permanent resident in Michigan, it appears to be spreading slowly. Just as Phylloxera was a catalyst of innovation that sparked a new age of viticulture, perhaps the Spotted Lantern Fly could serve a similar function in promoting the development of innovative viticultural techniques that result in a better and brighter future for the wine industry.

About The Author

Jack is a writer, producer and content creator. At the age of 17, the Oregon native began studying winemaking under Stephen Reustle. Jack’s work has been featured in several publications, including Wine Folly and the American Wine Society Journal. Find him on the Wine Heretics podcast and at wineheretics.com