Can you describe the appearance traits you saw that suggested they were lanternflies? We would need photos in order to confirm their ID before reporting them. If needed, you can compare their appearance to images on this page: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spotted-lanternfly-management-residents

Nymphs are active this time of year, but it's probably a little bit too early to see adults (which are the only life stage that can fly), though heat waves might have speed-up their development.

Miri

There could be a number of look-alike insects depending on what traits are being compared - size, shape, color, behavior, and so on. If you have Ailanthus in the yard, that's a good place to keep an eye out. Individuals may be less active and prone to fleeing in the early morning or late evening hours, when temperatures are lower (well, relatively speaking) and since it's not their main period of activity.

If you're unable to take a picture with zoom then you can definitely report your sighting to the MD Dept. of Ag. They have a new webpage with a link to an online reporting form, and the email previously promoted for reporting also still works: <personal data hidden>

Miri

Hello Donna,

Thank you for the photos - they definitely help us determine that this is not spotted lanternfly. This is a type of true fly, though we cannot concretely identify it to species. It looks like a Tiger Bee Fly (Xenox tigrinus), and they are fairly widespread in Maryland. Their larvae are parasites of carpenter bee larvae, so they're often seen around wooden structures where carpenter bees may be living.

Here are pages with images for comparison and additional information:

https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/9818

https://bugguide.net/node/view/2803

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/tiger-bee-fly

Miri