Researchers have found that some native bat species are preying on spotted lanternflies, the invasive insects that arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014 and have since caused millions of dollars in damage to trees and crops, writes Jim Melwert for KYW Newsradio.
Erin McHale, a PhD candidate at Rutgers, analyzed uncontaminated bat guano from bats that feed on other invasive insects such as stink bugs and corn earworms, using a DNA sequencer to check for traces of lanternfly DNA.
“I saw positives starting in July, which is when the adult insect is out,” said McHale. “So after, you know, going through all my samples from 2018 to 2022, we did successfully find spotted lanternfly DNA in the bat guano. And this is the first time it’s ever been done.”
While it is impossible to determine how many spotted lanternflies a bat eats, and some samples tested negative for the Asia-native insect, researchers observed an increase in positive samples over the years.
The research highlights the ongoing value of bats in controlling pests and raises new questions, including whether the analysis of bat guano could become a key tool for tracking the spread of spotted lanternflies.
Read more about how spotted lanternflies are being taken out via bat diet in the region at KYW Newsradio.
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