Virginia Tech scientists have discovered that common ants could help detect spotted lanternflies — invasive insects that have been sighted across the United States — before they have a chance to destroy trees, crops, and backyard gardens.

According to a news release from the university, a team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Scotty Yang in the Department of Entomology found that ants' addiction to sugar could play an important role in warding off the nuisance pests.

When spotted lanternflies feed on sap, they excrete a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew, which contains small traces of their DNA. And since ants are big fans of honeydew, bringing it back to their nests to share among each other, the team wondered if they could "serve as an early warning system" against spotted lanternflies.

To find out, the team developed a method, called "antDNA," to detect the presence of the pests in an area by analyzing the DNA found in honeydew.

When ants consume the honeydew, they also ingest the lanternfly DNA. Using polymerase chain reaction testing, scientists can therefore detect even the smallest traces of DNA left behind by the invasive bugs.

In their findings, published in two journal articles in Neobiota and Pest Management Science, the researchers explained that the method can be effective for up to five days after the ants consume even a single meal of honeydew.

Since ants are known to travel a good distance from their nests, the team identified the presence of lanternflies nearly 330 feet from "known infestation spots," meaning they provide natural pest control services over a large area.

"Ants are nature's sugar seekers," Yang said in the news release. "If there's even a tiny drop of honeydew left behind by a spotted lanternfly, ants are likely to find it. They're constantly on the move, searching for food, and their ability to cover a lot of ground makes them surprisingly effective at picking up traces of the spotted lanternfly."

Being able to detect the lanternflies before they spread is important, as the damage they cause to plants and crops, especially grapes and other fruit trees, can result in significant economic losses for farmers. Spotted lanternflies have also been known to attack ornamental plants and backyard gardens.

Even though encouraging people to stomp on them has proved effective, lanternflies lay egg masses in hard-to-reach places, so it's not easy to get rid of them all. Insecticides are often used to control populations, but the chemicals can harm other insects and plant species in the area.

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With the antDNA method, detecting lanternflies is as simple as collecting ants and testing them for lanternfly DNA, eliminating the need for huge teams of volunteers or dangerous chemicals.

The team stated that the new technique could be used to track other invasive insects that produce honeydew, offering a cheaper and easier method for protecting ecosystems. Yang and his team are working on an antDNA kit that enables scientists to perform molecular analysis on-site and detect lanternflies in real time.

If spotted lanternflies have taken over your yard, ants may be the heroes you've been waiting for.

"One of the biggest advantages of using ants is that they live almost everywhere, such as forests, farms, cities — you name it," Yang said.

"Their constant search for food makes them ideal frontline samplers for spotted lanternfly DNA. This approach isn't limited by habitat type, and thanks to well-established ant collection methods, we can easily scale it up."

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