lanternfly

noun

lan·​tern·​fly ˈlan-tərn-ˌflī 

variants or less commonly lantern fly

plural lanternflies also lantern flies

: any of several large brightly marked winged hemipteran insects (family Fulgoridae) that often resemble moths or small butterflies and usually possess an elongated hollow projection on the head

The lanternflies often have beautifully colored and patterned wings, and the front of their heads is often expanded into a large bulb or snout. Because of their brilliant colors, it used to be thought that they glowed in the dark, hence their common name. They don't glow, but they can be extraordinarily beautiful.

—California Academy of Sciences

especially : spotted lanternfly

By now, most residents of central and eastern Pennsylvania are familiar with lanternflies, an invasive pest that was discovered in Berks County in 2014. It took a few years, but the lanternflies not only moved from the original site to outside Pennsylvania's borders, where they have now been identified in 11 other states, but raised their profile significantly by converging on city and suburban neighborhoods in droves.

—Paul Vigna

Examples of lanternfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Asian carp, for instance, or global warming in general, or evils as small as the spotted lanternfly and visible as 15-foot-tall stalks of knotweed. —Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 1 Aug. 2024

Anyone who comes across a spotted lanternfly is advised to squish it. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2024

The spotted lanternfly enters the adult moth stage during the late summer and fall. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2024

The finding could help explain how the spotted lanternfly, which was introduced to Pennsylvania in 2014, has spread so far and so fast in the United States within only a decade. —Byhannah Richter, science.org, 9 July 2024

Liv Volker, a healthcare worker in Pennsylvania, is known for her lanternfly squishing campaign on TikTok. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 25 June 2024

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species from Asia that arrived on a shipment of goods to Pennsylvania in 2014, according to the USDA. —Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 15 June 2024

The pests pose a threat to agriculture, especially grape vines, which is a particular favorite of the lanternfly, Martinson said. —Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2024

For example, lanternfly females and nymphs gather in massive swarms, called aggregations, that are not clearly tied to mating—so the typical pest-control method of disrupting reproduction is difficult to apply. —Claire Marie Porter, Scientific American, 25 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lanternfly

• spotted lanternfly

Kids Definition

lantern fly

noun

: any of several large brightly marked insects that are related to the cicadas and aphids and have the front of the head lengthened into a hollow structure