Necessity is the mother of invention, and oftentimes the most simple solutions provide the maximum effectiveness and benefit; such aspects are embodied in Selina Zhang’s ingenious pest-control trap.

The 18-year-old student from Annandale, New Jersey, had previously encountered lanternflies while in grade school, realising that the invasive species was a near constant nuisance in the area.

One day, she was struck by a bolt of inventive lightning and created a novel means of combating the moth-like bugs that have been causing problems for indigenous flora across 17 mid-eastern US states since around 2014.

Zhang studied the lanternflies’ behaviour, took inspiration from the tree of heaven and then set about procuring several household items; she put together an umbrella with an electric mesh, woven with rubber tubing to meet her exact needs for the new invention.

The result: The ArTreeficial, a lure device resembling a tree, but with smart technology installed, and solar panels and powered by artificial intelligence. Best of all, it is environmentally friendly in its bug-zapping and is self-cleaning.

“I want to demonstrate that we can use artificial resources as an essential tool for how we help protect our natural resources, especially in agriculture,” Zhang said.

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