The Zoo in Toledo in Lucas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Stop the Spot!

Installed on this tree is a trap designed to catch young spotted lanternfly.

Photographed by Craig Doda, October 13, 2024

1. Stop the Spot! Marker

Inscription.
Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that has been present in the United States since 2014. Ohio's first case of SLF was reported in 2020, and in 2023, Toledo Zoo's Horticulture and Wild Toledo staff positively identified several spotted lanternfly populations on and around zoo grounds. Lucas county is one of a handful of Ohio counties currently designated as an SLF quarantine zone by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Native to Asia, the primary host plant of SLF is the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), another established invasive species, but they are by no means picky eaters. They have been documented on over 100 species of plant from over 30 distinct plant families!

Contrary to its name, spotted lanternfly can only fly for very short distances. These traps work by creating a funnel that leads SLF nymphs and adults into the collection bag as they climb toward the tree's canopy. However, transportation by human activity has proven to be their best mode of transportation. SLF like to hitchhike on things like trains, cars and firewood.

Erected by The Toledo Zoo.

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 2014.

Location. 41° 37.283′ N, 83° 34.993′ W. Marker is in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County. It is in The Zoo. It can be reached from Hippo Way north of Anthony Wayne Trail (Ohio Route 25), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Hippo Way, Toledo OH 43609, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ohio’s Lake Erie Shore.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Le Le & Nan Nan (here, next to this marker); Eagle Nesting Habits (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Inuksuk

Photographed by Craig Doda, October 13, 2024

2. Stop the Spot! Marker

(about 300 feet away); The Toledo Zoo - Celebrating A Century of Adventure (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Eagle Nesting Habits (about 300 feet away); The Toledo Zoo / Toledo's Canals (about 300 feet away); Animals (about 600 feet away); Skeldon Plaza (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toledo.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 16, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.