What you eat is what we need: using ants to detect spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) DNA

Abstract

Early detection of invasive species such as the spotted lanternfly (SLF, Lycorma delicatula) is critical for effective management including eradication efforts and limiting further spread. SLF excretes honeydew containing detectable DNA, providing a unique opportunity to leverage environmental DNA (eDNA) for its detection. This study introduces the ant-derived DNA (antDNA) approach, utilizing ants as ‘honeydew samplers’ to detect SLF DNA. We validated the effectiveness of this method through three experiments.