New research launched at Centenary University could someday halt the spread of the spotted lantern fly, an invasive species that is destroying trees and crops in northwestern New Jersey and beyond. Assistant Professor of Biology Amanda Tokash-Peters, Ph.D., and two Centenary students, Victoria Viersma and Alissa Mor, are examining the insect’s microbiome in the hopes of finding a natural way to stop the pests.

The spotted lantern fly is believed to have arrived in the United States on shipping containers, according to Dr. Tokash-Peters. The insect is easy to identify, with beige spotted wings that have cherry red undersides. Laying its eggs in the fall and feeding on plants from May through October, they leave a substance on trees and crops called honeydew, making vegetation susceptible to fungal infection.

Viersma and Mor are playing an integral role in the research, collecting and analyzing insect samples, including from Donaldson’s Farms, which has experienced spotted lantern fly damage.

For her recent doctoral program, Dr. Tokash-Peters examined the mosquito microbiome, which she believes shares commonalities with the spotted lantern fly microbiome.

“This is brand new, emerging research,” said Dr. Tokash-Peters. “As far as I’ve been able to see in my background research, very little has been published on the microbiome of the spotted lantern fly yet. They feed on a lot of agricultural crops, but normally they look for an invasive tree called the Tree of Heaven, which we have in northwestern New Jersey. Their lifecycle very closely depends on this tree.”

A natural solution may be years off, but Dr. Tokash-Peters and her students hope that their research will set the groundwork to replace the pesticides currently used to control the spread. She said, “I’d like to see this research, years from now, be the basis of developing probiotics to deal with this infection. “We could promote good bacteria to stop the infection with these fungi and defend plants.”

Dr. Tokash-Peters has access to leading analytical technology through a partnership with the University of Massachusetts Boston.