Putting ants to work: A scalable eDNA approach for detecting spotted lanternfly

In terrestrial environments, environmental DNA (eDNA) is often unevenly distributed, making effective sampling challenging, especially without a detailed understanding of the target species’ biology. We present a novel approach to spotted lanternfly (SLF) detection using ants as eDNA samplers, known as the antDNA method. Ants naturally forage for carbohydrates, including honeydew secreted by hemipterans like SLF. They collect this sugary resource and carry it back to the colony, effectively concentrating SLF honeydew and the DNA it contains. Instead of processing environmental materials that typically require filtration or cold storage, our method uses DNA deriving from whole ants for direct PCR or qPCR analysis. Because ants share food among nestmates, SLF honeydew can be distributed throughout the colony. This means SLF DNA can be detected even if the sampled workers didn’t feed on SLF directly. Field trials show that the antDNA method can effectively detect SLF DNA even at low population densities. Plus, ants are abundant, widespread, and easy to collect across diverse habitats, making this method cost-effective, scalable, and well-suited for large-scale monitoring.