The next phase in the fight against invasive spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) in the United States might just involve man's best friend. New research from Cornell University found that trained dogs were better than humans at detecting the lanternfly eggs that spend the winter in some landscapes, particularly forested areas. The findings are detailed in a study published December 26, 2024 in the journal Ecosphere. The spotted lanternfly is native to China, and was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, it has spread to at least 17 other states primarily in the eastern United States.

The spotted lanternfly may look innocent, but these ravenous creatures have been known to decimate crops, causing more than $500 million in damages to various fruit trees since being accidentally introduced to this country nearly a decade ago. The big idea right now is to introduce several species of wasps into the mid-atlantic ecosystem to hunt and eat the lanternflies, but students at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have developed an alternative plan in the form of a robot death machine. It's called TartanPest and uses a combination of technologies and components to autonomously hunt down and destroy lanternfly egg masses. It starts with an electric tractor for movement and a suite of cameras for traversal. This computer vision is also constantly on the hunt for egg masses, containing up to 50 lanternfly eggs.