Using Google Trends to improve monitoring of the invasive spotted lanternfly in the United States

Invasive species pose significant threats to ecosystems and human industry and are being rapidly exacerbated by increased globalization and climate change. Effective monitoring of invasive species is crucial for control and eradication efforts, but traditional methods can be costly and resource-intensive. Here, we explore the use of Google Trends, a tool quantifying internet searches made on the Google search engine, to monitor the spread of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), a recent invasive insect in the United States that has resulted in a number of negative ecological and agricultural effects. We analyzed Google search data for this species from 2014 to 2022 and compared it to official occurrence data pooled from a variety of government and citizen science-based sources. Our results show a significant positive relationship between the number of Google searches and the presence of the spotted lanternfly. Yearly patterns in Google search data align with observed population sizes, and seasonal patterns with the emergence of mature adult spotted lanternflies. Our results indicate that Google Trends may be particularly useful in complementing traditional monitoring methods. We discuss its efficacy in monitoring the spotted lanternfly invasion in particular as well as possible considerations and limitations of this approach generally. In total, this approach could enhance future monitoring of the spotted lanternfly and possibly other invasive species to better inform conservation efforts

外来入侵物种对生态系统与人类产业均构成严重威胁，而全球化进程加速与气候变化正快速加剧这一问题。对外来入侵物种开展有效监测，是实施防控与根除工作的核心前提，但传统监测方法往往成本高昂且资源消耗巨大。本研究探讨了利用谷歌趋势（Google Trends）——一款量化谷歌搜索引擎互联网搜索量的工具——来监测斑衣蜡蝉（Lycorma delicatula）的传播态势。斑衣蜡蝉是近年入侵美国的昆虫物种，已对当地生态与农业造成诸多负面影响。我们分析了2014年至2022年间该物种相关的谷歌搜索数据，并将其与从各类政府及公民科学来源汇总得到的官方目击记录数据进行了对比。研究结果显示，谷歌搜索量与斑衣蜡蝉的分布范围存在显著的正相关关系。谷歌搜索数据的年度变化模式与观测到的种群规模相符，而季节变化模式则与斑衣蜡蝉成虫的羽化时段高度匹配。本研究表明，谷歌趋势可作为传统监测方法的有效补充工具。我们不仅探讨了该工具在监测斑衣蜡蝉入侵方面的应用效能，还总体讨论了该方法可能存在的考量要点与局限性。总体而言，该方法可优化未来斑衣蜡蝉乃至其他外来入侵物种的监测工作，为生态保护行动提供更充分的决策依据。