How Pet Dogs Spot Invasive Lanternfly Eggs

By Melissa Viera

Originally published on August 26, 2026, on WBSM 1420

Dogs help people detect all kinds of things thanks to an olfactory system that is far more sensitive than ours. They can be trained to alert us to termites and bed bugs, find highly sought-after truffles, and locate lost items. Now, dogs are even helping people find the egg masses of an invasive insect that has been making headlines.

Researchers at Virginia Tech first suggested that dogs can successfully find the egg masses of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in their study published last year. The follow-up study, published in June 2026, showed that dogs can detect spotted lanternfly (SLF) egg masses in areas where their presence is unknown, and they outperformed people in visually complex environments.

Read More: Canine Detectives: How Pet Dogs Spot Invasive Lanternfly Eggs | https://wbsm.com/ixp/519/p/dogs-detect-invasive-lanternfly-masses/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral