This is an old video posted by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station but is useful to help you identify them.
"Adults feed in large congregations from August – October and are easily recognizable. Because they spend at least one month as adults before laying eggs, this could be a critical time for management. Mating and egg laying is delayed and egg laying does not occur until October. Egg masses are laid on smooth surfaces and appear like a patch of mud. They spend the winter in this stage and thus are very likely to be accidentally transported to a new location."
There is further NJ specific and detailed info about this insect and what/where to watch out for it, and how best to eradicate them at this link.
To help survey efforts, the general public should report sightings (please include the town and county where the specimen was found and attach a photograph) to slanternfly@njaes.rutgers.edu. Farmers, nurserymen and vineyardists should also report sightings to SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov.
Apple trees and grape vines are favored by it, as well as Black Walnut & Ailanthus trees among othar hardwoods.
Spotted Lanterfly are now being seen along the river in NJ & PA.
The National Park Service has sent an alert to park volunteers that: "Spotted Lanternfly have been spotted at the following sites in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation areas:
Weygadt - Columbia, NJ.
Kittatinny Point - Bushkill , PA
Coppermine Area - NJ Pahaquarry area
Camp Mohican - Blairstown, NJ
Mount Minsi [PA] Delaware Water Gap
around 739/209 area [PA]
Marie Zimmerman House [ Above the Dingmans Ferry Bridge in PA] "
NPS also relates:
"Currently, we have been working on treating the Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) trees in the 209 area as these are the trees that seem to be attractive to the invasive spotted lantern fly."
Please be very alert for this invasive species. Parts of PA had been overrun by them the past 2 years. It is very easy for this insect to hitch-hike on a car or in anything that they can latch unto - if you commute to these areas or travel through them.
