Egg mass distribution as an early detection tool for the presence of Lycorma delicatula the following year in vineyards

Lycorma delicatula is an invasive phloem-feeding plant hopper from China that was first detected in New Jersey in 2018. This insect is a serious pest to grapes and poses an economic threat to vineyards and the broader agricultural and forestry industries. L. delicatula overwinter in the egg stage and early detection and identification of egg masses may lead to better mitigation practices. This study sought to examine predictive features of the location of egg mass presence in wooded areas adjacent to vineyards in 2019. The second aim was to survey the adjacent vineyard the following season to identify the occurrence of nymphs within vineyards. Six vineyards in New Jersey were sampled that had varying pressure and history of L. delicatula over the past two years. Within the wooded areas, we compared distance from wood edge and presence of Ailanthus altissima and Vitis spp. as parameters. The results of this study showed a positive association with a P value of < 0.001 between presence of egg masses and the presence of V. spp. in wooded habitats. However, no relationship was found between egg mass presence in wooded areas and the occurrence of L. delicatula nymphs in vineyards the following year.