Spotted Lanternfly detection data - ORT, FE and LEORT

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive plant hopper species in the United States (US) first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. SLF target grape vines, apples, and hops causing millions of dollars in agricultural losses yearly. Due to its life cycle, the most effective way to mitigate and prevent its long-distance migration is to detect the egg masses and eradicate them. Currently, early detection relies on human visual inspection which is very difficult and inefficient. Dogs have been shown to be highly effective in detecting the egg masses and discriminating SLF egg masses from common environmental distractors; however, to effectively employ dogs to stem the spread of SLF would require many more trained dogs than available through government agencies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of community scientist dog teams to attain standardized detection criteria. Handler teams were recruited from around the US and provided with devitalized SLF egg masses to use when training their dogs. The handlers were then evaluated with an odor recognition test, and a field test over a period of 3 – 6 months. Training and preparation for the evaluations were completed at the discretion of the enrolled handler teams, overseen by a local trainer. We evaluated the dogs' performance in two sequential experiments. We found that the community scientist dog teams were able to achieve a sensitivity of 81\% during controlled testing and 58\% during field trials. These results demonstrate a proof-of-concept; community scientist dog teams could play a significant part in protecting their local environments and agriculture from invasive species.