Development and assessment of Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) training aids for detection canines

Abstract

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive species in the U.S. which is killing key agricultural products. Containing this pest is critical to limit its overall economic impact. One proposed method for slowing the spread of SLF is to ensure that egg masses are not transported out of infested regions. Previous research showed that canines can be trained to detect dead egg masses and readily transfer training to detect live egg masses. The objectives of the current study were 1) to develop a training aid in a controlled lab setting to which dogs trained to detect SLF could spontaneously generalize (Experiment 1), and 2) deploy this aid to evaluate detection canines in a mock deployment scenario (Experiment 2). Seven dogs were used to test eight different training aids in Experiment 1. The time dogs spent investigating each training aid and the probability of alerting to these training aids was analyzed. Results from Experiment 1 show that a 40 mL glass vial with 1 g of cold killed SLF egg masses covered with a mesh barrier had the highest cumulative sniff time of 3.02 s [95% CI 2.3, 4.0] on average compared to the target material which had a sniff time of 3.8 s [3.1, 4.6]. A mesh pouch training aid was selected for use in Experiment 2 because it was more durable and easily hidden than the glass vial with mesh, and it had the second highest cumulative sniff time of 2.08 s [1.6, 2.7]. This mesh pouch training aid secured the eggs to prevent spreading but allowed for odor permeation. In Experiment 2, two dogs were trained to find the mesh pouch aid in a search area with 3 wooden pallets. The two dogs showed a sensitivity of 0.91 [0.73, 0.97] and 0.96; [0.79, 0.99], with a false alarm rate of 0% and 3.3%, respectively. In conclusion, a training aid was found that allows SLF egg mass odor permeation while effectively containing the eggs, and dogs in a mock deployment scenario showed excellent sensitivity and specificity for egg mass detection.