Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an invasive insect threatening hemlock forests throughout eastern North America. Early detection of this pest remains a key focus for management groups to ensure rapid response to control and stop the spread of HWA. Genetic approaches have been advancing as an affordable, efficient option to detect invasive species through methods such as environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques that can identify the presence of targeted species from the genetic material organisms shed into soil, water, or even air. In this presentation, guest Meg Sanders highlights research from her Master’s thesis that worked to develop and test the efficiency of airborne eDNA sampling techniques as a monitoring tool for HWA. This technology showed to be very promising and could be a useful tool for land managers to detect this invasive insect as early as possible and enact control measures quickly.
