How would I know if an ASIC appeared on the Malairte network?

Watch for network hashrate jumping sharply without a matching rise in participants, your own share of found blocks collapsing while your hashrate is unchanged, and difficulty climbing steeply without falling back. The clearest confirmation is usually hardware appearing for sale that names the algorithm. Height, hashrate, difficulty and peer count are published live on the Malairte network status page, read directly from a node, so you can check the first three yourself at any time.