lanternfly

American

[lan-tern-flahy] / ˈlæn tərnˌflaɪ /

noun

plural

lanternflies

any of several large tropical insects of the family Fulgoridae, formerly thought to be luminescent.

Etymology

Origin of lanternfly

First recorded in 1745–55; lantern ( def. ) + fly ¹ ( def. )

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 lanternfly, native to parts of Asia, was first found in the US in 2014 in eastern Pennsylvania.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2024

Heat-treating wood, for example, can also help ward off the gypsy moth, spotted lanternfly and the Asian long-horned beetle, Tamm said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

“Spotted lanternfly has been inching closer to the Midwest and Illinois for close to a decade,” said Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, in a statement.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2023

If the lanternfly invasion were an earthquake, Berks County would be its epicenter.

From National Geographic • Aug. 31, 2023

That was the spotted lanternfly mantra of summers past, and the striking bugs are back this year, despite New Yorkers’ best efforts.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2023

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