Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests
Por Victoria Bela — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Science China Science Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests
They have blanketed trees in the Chinese capital and surrounding areas this summer, posing a threat to hundreds of species of plants
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN Listen
Victoria Bela Published: 7:00pm, 4 Oct 2026 Authorities in the Chinese capital are releasing more than a billion parasitic wasps and encouraging caterpillar-catching competitions to try to contain the spread of the invasive North American fall webworm.
The caterpillars have blanketed trees in Beijing and surrounding areas this summer, spinning clouds of greyish-white webs as they eat their way through foliage.
The insects are the fuzzy larval stage of Hyphantria cunea and metamorphose into adult white moths.
While not harmful to humans, they pose a threat to hundreds of species of plants, China Science Daily reported on Friday.
According to the article written by Chen Min, a professor at Beijing Forestry University, this generation of larvae has a greater risk of spread than usual, making control measures more difficult.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
