Responses of adult spotted lanternflies to artificial aggregations composed of all males or females

Spotted lanternflies (SLF) Lycorma delicatula are economically important invasive planthoppers discovered in North America 2014. SLF gregarious, but how they locate each other, or who finds whom and when, is poorly understood. Here we describe adult behavior phenology on their preferred host, Ailanthus altissima , under field conditions, the context of both aggregation mate-location, since demonstrated prior to mating. We documented adults found could manipulate free-living populations number sex ratio by placement confined males females trees. Trap capture arriving was significantly higher trees with aggregations than control trees, corroborated photographic data, demonstrating manipulation attraction behavior. Sex ratios trapped arrivals were more male-biased female-biased females, evidence that male- observed naturally can be explained sex-specific conspecific signals. shifted over time same pattern two consecutive years. A mark-release-recapture study 1) density dependent strongly influenced natural populations, 2) released captured caged particularly mating, 3) starting at mating time. Photographic data revealed most clustering (a measure courtship) began during time, not controls. male female whereby occurs, arrive different times, aggregate several weeks 4) subsequently joined 5) continued into oviposition. Population key factors history which manipulated, providing a foothold for future research. Possible mechanisms exploration discussed.