Overview

• Spotted lanternflies, first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, have spread to 18 states, severely impacting vineyards, fruit trees, and hops.
• A Cornell University study found that trained dogs excel at detecting lanternfly egg masses in forested areas, while humans are more effective in structured vineyard settings.
• In forests, dogs detected egg masses at rates over three times higher than humans, leveraging their scent-based detection abilities in complex environments.
• Humans outperformed dogs in vineyards, detecting nearly twice as many egg masses due to systematic visual searches on vines and poles.
• The study recommends combining human and canine detection methods to enhance early surveillance and limit the pest’s spread, especially near forest boundaries.