This article was featured in the 2022 Winter Newsletter by Amy Jewitt- Invasive Species Coordinator, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy/Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council recently compiled an online ArcGIS StoryMap highlighting 25 unique stories, each featuring a specific project by an agency, non-governmental organization, or academic institution relating to invasive species research, management, or education and outreach. Three stories in particular spotlight work being done to combat the spotted lanternfly (SLF), a highly destructive invasive insect pest in Pennsylvania, New York, and several surrounding states.
The first of the SLF-related stories discusses the first spotted lanternfly finding in North America by a gentleman named Dan Lynch, an employee of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. His paramount finding in the summer of 2014 came about accidentally at his home in Berks County after he noticed a “strange-looking red and yellow insect” on his garage, later reporting his finding to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Thankfully, quick action was taken by the Department to visit the site, confirm the species ID, and establish an SLF quarantine zone in southeast Pennsylvania that would later expand substantially across the state, currently comprising 34 counties.
A second story highlights the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Vet Working Dog Center and their efforts to train three special canines; Toby (a small Munsterlander), Pacy (a Labrador retriever), and Grizzly (a German shepherd). Staff at the Center are working with these three dogs by training them to detect the smell of spotted lanternfly egg masses, a useful tool for future detections of SLF in the field. Dr. Cynthia M. Otto is the principal investigator at the Center leading this important project.
Finally, information from a third-story discusses entomological research being conducted by Dr. Julie Urban at The Pennsylvania State University. She and a team of other researchers are working on a four-year grant-funded project to quantify SLF impact on at-risk specialty crops, perform essential research on SLF biology, ecology and behavior, and deliver immediate SLF management solutions to specialty crop stakeholders and the general public.
Each article can be accessed in the StoryMap by using the top horizontal navigation pane where abbreviated titles of each story are visible. Look for:
