[6] Members of this genus are often referred to colloquially as "lanternfly" or "lantern bug" due to their brightly colored hind wings.

[9][10][11] L. delicatula (often called the spotted lanternfly) has received a number of different colloquial names because it is invasive in South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

[3][6] Surveys in the 1930s found that L. delicatula is native to China's northern provinces of Shanxi, Shandong and Hebei, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since the 1100s.

[15][16] L. delicatula has also been reported in Taiwan, Vietnam, and India, but ongoing research has yet to conclude if the species is native to these regions.

[23] Currently, these countries have implemented pest control efforts which have sought to limit population growth and spread, due to the threat L. delicatula poses to global agricultural industries.