Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests

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.Authorities in Beijing are trying to curb the spread of fall webworms. Photo: XinhuaWhile 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.