The next stage in the fight against the invasive spotted fly (Licorma delicatura) In the United States, it might just involve man’s best friend. A new study from Cornell University has found that trained dogs are better than humans at finding eggs of the lamb fly, which spends the winter in some landscapes, especially in wooded areas. For more information on the survey results, please visit The study was published in the journal Dec. 26, 2024 ecosphere.
Why is the spotted orchid fly a problem?
The Spotted Orchid is native to China and was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, it has spread to various regions. at least 17 other states Primarily in the eastern United States. almost 61,000 One of these winged insects was discovered in 2021 alone. Although they do not bite or sting humans, they can cause devastating damage to crops and are difficult to eradicate. This insect feeds on and kills several host plants, including maple and walnut trees, apples, hops, and grapes.
Study co-author Angela Fuller, a conservation ecologist at Cornell University, said: “An infestation of the spotted fly in a vineyard can result in 80% to 100% vine mortality in a single growing season.” said. said to cornell chronicle.
[ Related: What’s going on with spotted lanternflies? ]
These infestations can also increase the amount of pesticides growers need to use on plants, Fuller said. Additional pesticides can increase costs by up to 170% in a single growing season.
Scientists have used pesticides, physical traps, and even robots. fungi Manage insects at the local level. However, pesticides and traps also have drawbacks. Sticky traps can ensnare other animals, and lamb flies may eventually evolve resistance to certain current techniques. A team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently investigating parasitic wasp species as natural enemies that could provide a potential solution. Another option is to use dogs and their keen sense of smell to find eggs in the winter.
enter dog
this new research The study was designed to compare how well dogs and humans find overwintering Lambo fly eggs. Dogs typically rely on their noses to find things, while humans rely on visual cues and the sense of touch.
Professional dog trainers at New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and Working Dogs for Conservation trained two dogsLabrador retrievers and Belgian Malinois track the scent of spotted lambo egg masses.
Fuller and colleagues were selected. 20 vineyards in Pennsylvania and New Jersey It is known to be infested with Lambo fly. The team then used different lines along the rows of vineyards, called transects, and the forest next to them. One day, humans investigated an egg mass in the area. A leashed dog with a human handler scanned the same area on separate days to ensure that the human scene did not influence the dog.
In the vineyard, Humans found 1.8 times more egg masses than dogs.. Here, adult female Lambo flies lay eggs on posts and vines.
Compared to humans, dogs explored the vineyards in a more random manner, so their search may have been less systematic and effective. By comparison, humans found 31 egg masses per hour in vineyards, while dogs found 24 egg masses per hour.
However, in the adjacent forest, Dogs have a detection rate 3.4 times higher than humans. Many spotted flies overwinter in forests, hatch and infect vineyards.
“Dogs can detect egg masses by smell,” Fuller says. “So in very complex environments, it’s easier for a dog to smell something than it is for a human to see something small and mysterious.”
In the forest, Dogs found 6.7 egg masses per hour compared to 7.6 egg masses per hour. For humans. Dogs also spent more time exploring than humans.
“The extra time it takes for the dog to find the eggs is not as important as finding the eggs in the first place, because the egg mass needs to be detected to eradicate the eggs,” Fuller says.
There is no space in the vineyard
The researchers also used a computer model to estimate the probability of a spotted orchid being present in a particular area. occupancy rate. Their model shows that occupancy was higher
Vineyards are higher than forests, metal poles are higher than vines. Vineyard accessions closest to the forest were more likely to have egg masses than accessions farther from the forest. The researchers believe this is because lamb flies don’t usually disperse very far and are often dropped from trees or blown away by the wind.
“If you’re searching in a vineyard that’s close to the woods, you’re more likely to find them there,” Fuller said.
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