Canine Detectives Help Halt the Spread of Invasive Spotted Lanternflies in Ohio.

A new line of defense has been unleashed in the battle against the invasive spotted lanternfly—dogs trained to sniff out the pest’s hidden egg masses. First discovered in the United States a decade ago, the leaf-hopping insect has steadily advanced across the East Coast and into the Midwest, wreaking havoc on agricultural and natural resources with few obstacles slowing its path.

But researchers are now enlisting the help of four-legged investigators to change that trajectory. Since late last year, four specially trained dogs have been working in the Cleveland area, scouring public parks for egg masses concealed in natural and urban spaces—trees, shrubs, park benches, landscape rocks, and even bridge pillars. Each mass has the potential to hatch between 30 and 50 lanternflies.

Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metroparks, reported that the dogs have already discovered more than 4,000 egg masses. This means the canine team has helped prevent the emergence of up to 200,000 of the sap-feeding insects that threaten crops such as grapes, hops, fruit trees, and hardwood species.

In just one session this April at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the dogs located an estimated 1,100 egg masses, according to Hausman.

“These dogs all have incredible noses,” Hausman said. “But not every dog is cut out for this kind of work. They had to pass specific tests to qualify for the task.”

The dogs were part of a research initiative led by Virginia Tech University, aimed at curbing the spread of the brightly marked lanternflies, which originate from eastern Asia and are known for their striking black spots and vivid red wings. The dogs already had prior scent detection training before their handlers collaborated with Virginia Tech to specialize their skills in identifying lanternfly eggs.

When a dog signals the presence of an egg mass, it receives a treat as a reward. The handler then removes the mud-colored cluster, eliminating the threat before it can hatch.

With each detection, the dogs are making a significant contribution to regional conservation efforts, one sniff at a time.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-legged-lanternfly-eggs-invasive-pest.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.