iEcoLab’s research combines multiscale modeling, data science, and field biology to predict the introduction, establishment, and impact of spotted lanternfly from local to global scales. This work is in collaboration with the Center for Computational Mathematics and Modeling (C2M2).
iEcoLab Spotted Lanternfly Resources
SLF spread forecast dashboard – Houses multiple interactive apps that model spotted lanternfly spread, including past & future spread, global risk severity, and points of interest for transport control
Risk-of-spread map application (Beta version 0_2) – Interactive map for choosing risk-of-spread sites for sampling and control
Agent-based random walk model – Initial model of local spread of spotted lanternfly through a forested landscape
Reaction-diffusion spread model – Initial first-principles model of regional spread of spotted lanternfly
iEcoLab Media on Spotted Lanternfly
The New York Times Article
NBC News Interview July 2020
NBC News Article
NBC News Interview September 2019
The Temple News Article
Temple TV Interview
About Spotted Lanternfly
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive Asian planthopper that was discovered in 2014 near Philadelphia USA. It feeds on at least 70 different plant species. It causes economic damage to the vineyards, orchards, and timber plantations it has infested. Invaded vineyards have lost crops, affecting wine production. It rains showers of sticky sap on homeowners, and it can spread to new locations by hitchhiking on anything kept outdoors like a car. iEcoLab is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the USDA to model and estimate the economic impacts of the spotted lanternfly invasion. We are just beginning to understand its pattern of spread and potential to disrupt agricultural and natural ecosystems. We are currently hiring Ph.D. students and Postdocs to work on spotted lanternfly.
The PA Department of Agriculture has sampled spotted lanternfly throughout the state. The rate of spread is rapid and it has now spread into several surrounding states.
