Webinar Recording: From Detection to Action: eDNA, 3D Printing, and Outreach for Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is continuing to spread across the Midwest, creating new challenges for growers, extension professionals, and other stakeholders. Early detection is particularly important for managing this invasive pest, but finding SLF can be difficult because its populations and life stages are not always easy to detect.

In this webinar, Dr. Ashley Leach and Dr. Natalie Constancio of The Ohio State University shared research and extension strategies for detecting spotted lanternfly and preparing growers to manage the pest. Their efforts combined environmental DNA (eDNA), traditional scouting, trapping, and innovative 3D-printed training tools to improve early detection and stakeholder preparedness.

Dr. Leach began with an overview of spotted lanternfly, including its life cycle, broad host range, and movement into Ohio.

She discussed the pest’s importance to grape production and explained how research in Pennsylvania has shown that adult SLF populations can be particularly problematic in vineyards during late summer and fall. Adults also tend to concentrate along vineyard edges, particularly where vineyards meet wooded areas, providing an important target for monitoring and management.

Dr. Constancio then described three approaches being used to detect SLF in Ohio: circle traps and sticky bands, traditional in-person scouting, and eDNA sampling. In studies comparing these approaches, eDNA detection substantially outperformed visual scouting. In Ohio vineyards, eDNA detections provided an early warning that allowed growers to prepare for potential infestations before large numbers of SLF were observed.

The researchers found that 63% of positive eDNA samples came from the surrounding landscape rather than the grapevines themselves, while positive vine samples were concentrated near vineyard parking areas. These findings suggested that monitoring the landscape surrounding vineyards—including areas near transportation and visitor parking—can provide valuable information for targeted scouting and management.

Because SLF egg masses can be difficult to recognize, the Ohio team used 3D-printed models to train growers, master gardeners, and other stakeholders to identify the pest before it becomes established. Their hands-on training included 3D-printed egg masses and scavenger hunts that allowed participants to practice finding SLF egg masses in realistic settings.

Following the training, participants achieved 95% accuracy identifying egg masses and 86% accuracy identifying signs of SLF, demonstrating the potential of 3D-printed tools to improve stakeholder scouting skills.

The presenters also discussed how growers can respond when SLF is detected, including the potential value of focusing management efforts along vineyard edges, the importance of considering the surrounding landscape, and ongoing research into treatment options.

Leach and Constancio emphasized that management decisions depend on the production system, available resources, and individual grower priorities.

Together, early detection, targeted monitoring, innovative training tools, and grower participation can be used as an integrated approach to spotted lanternfly management. While eDNA testing is highly effective, its cost and technical requirements mean that no single detection method is appropriate for every situation.

The Ohio team’s expanding statewide scouting network highlights the importance of working directly with growers to detect SLF, understand its movement, and prepare for future infestations.

Watch the full webinar to learn how eDNA, 3D printing, and grower outreach are helping Ohio prepare for spotted lanternfly and what these approaches could mean for SLF management across the Midwest.