OUR DATAHOW SIGHTINGREPORTS WORK
Every sighting on lanternflywatch.com feeds into a real-time map and a citizen science database used by researchers.
The pipeline
From Report to Research
You Report
Submit a sighting via the map. Location is required; photos, life stage, and count are optional.
We Store
Your report is written to Supabase — a secure, open-source Postgres database. No raw IP addresses are stored.
We Display
The sighting appears on the public Leaflet map within seconds. Location is shown; your identity is not.
We Share
Reports with photos are cross-posted to the iNaturalist project "Lanternfly Watch" (taxon 324726), feeding the global research record.
What we collect
Data Fields
We collect the minimum needed to map the sighting and contribute to science. We do not build user profiles.
| Field | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Location | GPS coordinates (lat/lng) | Required |
| Date / Time | Auto-filled from your device clock | Auto |
| Life stage | Adult, nymph, or egg mass | Optional |
| Count estimate | Approximate number seen | Optional |
| Photo | Used for iNaturalist cross-post and map display | Optional |
| Only used for local alert emails — never sold or shared | Optional |
Not collected — ever
- Name
- IP address
- Device ID
- Browser fingerprint
How we use it
Three Uses. Zero Surprises.
Public Map Display
Your sighting location appears on the community map so neighbors know where SLF activity is happening. Your identity is never displayed.
iNaturalist Cross-Post
Photo-verified reports are pushed to the global iNaturalist database (taxon 324726), contributing directly to peer-reviewed research.
Aggregate Analysis
We analyze cumulative sighting data to produce seasonal reports and regional spread forecasts. All analysis is done on aggregated, anonymized records.
Privacy
Honest About What's Public
No account required. Anyone can report a sighting without creating a profile.
No tracking. We do not run ad trackers, analytics fingerprinting, or third-party pixels.
Location data is public — intentionally. The whole point is community awareness. Your pin appears on a shared map so neighbors can see where SLF is active. If you prefer not to share a precise location, you can drop the pin on the nearest intersection.
Email stays private. If you provide an email for local alerts, it is stored separately from the observation record and is never sold, traded, or used for marketing.
For full details, see our Privacy Policy →
Academic access
For Researchers
Researchers who want access to the raw sighting dataset for academic purposes can request it directly. We review requests individually and prioritize peer-reviewed institutional work.
Email contact@lanternflywatch.com with subject line "Data Access".
iNaturalist integration
Contributing to Global Science
All reports that include a photo are automatically cross-posted to the Lanternfly Watch iNaturalist project (taxon 324726). This connects your observation to iNaturalist's global biodiversity database and makes it available to the broader research community.
Once cross-posted, iNaturalist data is governed by iNaturalist's privacy policy and license terms. We use the default open license to maximize research utility.
Data quality
Report a Data Issue
See an incorrect observation on the map? Email us with the observation details and we'll investigate and correct it.
Put your data to work
Every Pin Helps.
Your report updates the community map instantly and contributes to the scientific record. It takes 30 seconds.
Report a Sighting →