Overview

• Four specially trained dogs have uncovered over 4,000 spotted lanternfly egg masses in Cleveland since late 2024, preventing an estimated 200,000 potential pests from hatching.
• The spotted lanternfly, native to Asia, has spread across 18 U.S. states since 2014, damaging crops and feeding on over 70 plant species.
• Researchers at Virginia Tech and Texas Tech, supported by a USDA grant, developed the canine training program to enhance early detection of egg masses.
• Each egg mass, capable of producing 30 to 50 adult lanternflies, can survive winter, making early identification and removal critical.
• Only dogs that pass scent detection proficiency tests are deployed, with handlers rewarded for scraping away egg masses once detected.