Synonyms

lantern fly

British

noun

any of various tropical insects of the homopterous family Fulgoridae, many species of which have a snoutlike process formerly thought to emit light

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The spotted lantern fly is one such pest.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023

The department has been monitoring for the insect and collaborating with the Washington Invasive Species Council to create a state response plan for the spotted lantern fly.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023

The spotted lantern fly, Lycorma delicatula, was accidentally imported to Berks County, Pa., in 2014, presumably in a shipping container from Asia.

From Washington Post • Sep. 13, 2021

Fonseca is already working on environmental DNA techniques to detect other invasive insects, including the emerald ash borer and the spotted lantern fly.

From Scientific American • Jul. 12, 2018

Despite its name and its shiny shell, the lantern fly does not actually glow, so Maria's mention of a “flame of light” was probably the result of reflected candlelight.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023