Data from: Olfactory threshold of dogs (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) to cold-killed Spotted Lantern Fly eggs

The Spotted Lantern fly (<i>Lycorma delicatula) </i>is an invasive foreign species that is affecting US forestry and agriculture for which dogs have been deployed to detect and eradicate. However, dogs’ olfactory threshold or limits of detection for this target is unknow. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate dogs’ olfactory threshold to dead SLF eggs. Using an automated air dilution olfactometer and an adaptive staircase procedure, we evaluated dogs’ (N =10) olfactory threshold in two experiments. Experiment 1 evaluated the highest air dilution at which dog were able to accurately discriminate between a vial containing cold-killed SLF eggs and a blank vial. In Experiment 2 we added tree bark as background noise to the vials and evaluated the highest air dilution at which dogs were able to discriminate a vial with dead SLF eggs + bark from a vial containing egg free bark. Overall, dogs were able to accurately discriminate dead SLF eggs from a blank vial at a 0.9% (v/v) air dilution. Adding tree bark as background noise increased dogs’ discrimination threshold to 4.1% (v/v) air dilution. Nonetheless, for most of the dogs, their olfactory threshold in Experiment 2 was almost ten-fold higher than in Experiment 1. Our study further confirms that detection dogs are efficient detecting dead SLF eggs and highlight the negative effects background noise can have on olfactory threshold.

斑衣蜡蝉（Spotted Lanternfly，学名：*Lycorma delicatula*）是一种外来入侵物种，正对美国的林业与农业造成危害，目前已有工作犬被部署用于该物种的侦测与根除工作。然而，学界尚未明确工作犬对该靶标物种的嗅觉阈值或检测极限。因此，本研究旨在评估工作犬对斑衣蜡蝉（SLF）死卵的嗅觉阈值。本研究借助自动化空气稀释嗅觉仪（automated air dilution olfactometer）与自适应阶梯式实验程序，开展两项实验以评估10只工作犬的嗅觉阈值。实验1旨在测试工作犬能够准确区分装有冷致死斑衣蜡蝉死卵的样品瓶与空白样品瓶的最高空气稀释比例。实验2中，我们在样品瓶中加入树皮作为背景干扰物，测试工作犬能够准确区分“装载斑衣蜡蝉死卵+树皮”的样品瓶与“仅含无卵树皮”的样品瓶的最高空气稀释比例。整体结果显示，工作犬可在0.9%（体积比，v/v）的空气稀释条件下准确区分斑衣蜡蝉死卵与空白样品瓶；加入树皮作为背景干扰物后，工作犬的判别阈值提升至4.1%（体积比，v/v）。尽管如此，多数工作犬在实验2中的嗅觉阈值较实验1提升了近一个数量级（近10倍）。本研究进一步证实了工作犬可高效侦测斑衣蜡蝉死卵，并凸显了背景干扰物对嗅觉阈值的负面影响。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集研究狗对冷杀斑点灯笼蝇卵的嗅觉阈值，通过两个实验评估狗在无背景噪声和有树皮背景噪声下的检测能力。研究发现，狗在无噪声时能准确区分0.9%空气稀释率的卵，而有噪声时阈值提高到4.1%，表明背景噪声显著降低狗的嗅觉灵敏度。数据集支持检测狗在入侵物种控制中的应用，并突出环境因素对嗅觉性能的影响。