05/02/2025
Posted • Although it might just look like a solar panel strapped to an everyday patio umbrella, this advanced piece of AI-powered technology is being used to combat New Jersey’s pressing spotted lanternfly problem.
Coolest of all, it was invented by a high schooler.
Spotted lanternflies, which are native to China, have inflicted serious damage to the East Coast’s flora since having first been spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014, with officials in several states telling the public: If you see it, squash it.
‘As I got older, I wanted to take concrete action,’ 18-year-old Selina Zhang told Smithsonian Magazine. ‘I wanted to build an innovative solution that took into account my personal perspective and existing research to target this bug in ways we haven’t before.’
Traditional methods of insect control typically include insecticides, which leave behind harmful chemicals, or adhesive strips, which can trap birds or small animals as collateral damage. Plus, neither method is able to solely target lanternflies and will often inadvertently kill crucial pollinators.
In order to create the perfect lanternfly trap, Zhang spent weeks in the field, observing and learning about the insect’s behavior. Her research eventually led her to create ‘ArTreeficial.’ It’s a device that emits the scent of lanternflies’ favorite tree, the tree of heaven, to draw them in. Then, once the lanternfly lands, an AI algorithm detects whether the bug is or isn’t a lanternfly. If it is, the lanternfly is then zapped by electric mesh. The mesh is laid out like a chessboard with the electrical shock only being delivered to the square that the invasive bug is on, so as to not kill other bugs on the mesh.
Zhang’s device is solar powered, self-cleaning, and costs just under $200 to build.
