Studies were conducted from 2015 to 2018 to evaluate spotted lanternfly (SLF) distribution and developmental suitability of different plant species in the U.S. Tree bands on 283 trees spanning 33 species captured 21,006 SLF in 2 yr. More SLF per tree were trapped on tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae) than on other species, on average, and most adults were captured on tree-of-heaven. Frequency of detection of adult SLF was higher on tree-of-heaven than on other species but was actually equal or lower on tree-of-heaven than on all other species combined for younger SLF stages in 2015. An enclosed choice test between tree-of-heaven and black walnut Juglans nigra L. (Fagales: Juglandaceae) revealed nymphs showed little consistent preference, whereas adults consistently and significantly preferred tree-of-heaven. No-choice field sleeve studies evaluated SLF survivorship on 26 host plant species in 17 families. Ten plant species supported SLF for an average of ≥45 d, with the rest unable to support SLF for >30 d. Eight species were able to support development from first instar to adult: black walnut, chinaberry Melia azedarach L. (Sapindales: Meliaceae), oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Celastrales: Celastraceae), tree-of-heaven, hops Humulus lupulus L. (Rosales: Cannabaceae), sawtooth oak Quercus acutissima Carruthers (Fagales: Fagaceae), butternut Juglans cinerea L, and tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifiera L. (Magnoliales: Magnoliaceae). The ability of SLF to develop to adult on hosts other than tree-of-heaven may impact pest management decisions.

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Common loons Gavia immer and red-throated loons G. stellata winter along the USA Atlantic coast, where fisheries observers have documented interactions with commercial fishing operations, largely coastal gillnets. The red-throated loon is a conservation priority for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, so interest lies in gauging fisheries bycatch relative to population levels. Gillnet fisheries observer data from 1996 to 2007 were used in developing generalized linear models to predict common and red-throated loon bycatch rates and investigate gear characteristics associated with high bycatch rates. The predicted bycatch rates were applied to commercial gillnet effort data to estimate total bycatch during this time period. Bycatch was then compared to a potential biological removal (PBR) measure that was calculated from limited demographic parameters. Factors most commonly associated with the bycatch rates were bottom depth and sea surface temperature. Common loon bycatch rates were higher for strings without spacing between nets versus strings with spacing, and for strings that fished ≥ 24 h versus strings that fished < 24 h. Average annual bycatch was 74 (95% CI: 29-189) common loons in the Northeast, and 477 (370-615) common loons and 897 (620-1297) redthroated loons in the Mid-Atlantic. The average red-throated loon bycatch reached about 60% of the PBR measure. This estimated level of bycatch emphasizes that the red-throated loon is a conservation priority, especially considering the unknown level of bycatch in non-oceanic coastal gillnet fisheries and uncertain demographic parameters.KEY WORDS: Bycatch mitigation · Commercial fishing · Seabird-fishery interaction · Gillnet · Atlantic · Red-throated loon · Common loon Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

Species distribution models can be used to direct early detection of invasive species, if they include proxies for invasion pathways. Due to the dynamic nature of invasion, these models violate assumptions of stationarity across space and time. To compensate for issues of stationarity, we iteratively update regionalized species distribution models annually for European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) to target early detection surveys for the USDA APHIS gypsy moth program. We defined regions based on the distances from the invasion spread front where shifts in variable importance occurred and included models for the non-quarantine portion of the state of Maine, a short-range region, an intermediate region, and a long-range region. We considered variables that represented potential gypsy moth movement pathways within each region, including transportation networks, recreational activities, urban characteristics, and household movement data originating from gypsy moth infested areas (U.S. Postal Service address forwarding data). We updated the models annually, linked the models to an early detection survey design, and validated the models for the following year using predicted risk at new positive detection locations. Human-assisted pathways data, such as address forwarding, became increasingly important predictors of gypsy moth detection in the intermediate-range geographic model as more predictor data accumulated over time (relative importance = 5.9%, 17.36%, and 35.76% for 2015, 2016, and 2018, respectively). Receiver operating curves showed increasing performance for iterative annual models (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.63, 0.76, and 0.84 for 2014, 2015, and 2016 models, respectively), and boxplots of predicted risk each year showed increasing accuracy and precision of following year positive detection locations. The inclusion of human-assisted pathway predictors combined with the strategy of iterative modeling brings significant advantages to targeting early detection of invasive species. We present the first published example of iterative species distribution modeling for invasive species in an operational context.

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