Beijing deploys wasps and public against invasive moth
The Chinese capital combines biological control with a public campaign to curb the American white moth.
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Beijing is trying to contain a major outbreak of the invasive American white moth with parasitic wasps and competitions in which visitors collect caterpillars. The approach is mainly aimed at limiting damage to trees and other plants; according to the available sources, the moth poses no direct health risk to people.
The campaign is taking place during China’s national holiday week, when large numbers of Hyphantria cunea caterpillars have been reported in and around Beijing. At Beijing Wildlife Park, visitors are given gloves, chopsticks and containers to collect the caterpillars. Participants are ranked according to the weight of their catch.
According to China’s national forestry and grassland authority, 1,153 visitors had taken part by 2 October. Together they collected more than 35 kilograms of caterpillars, amounting to around 230,000 specimens. According to the government source, the competition runs until 7 October.
The species originates in North America and, according to experts, can affect hundreds of plant species. The larvae eat the leaves of trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and agricultural crops. The Chinese government source says that the species does not bite or transmit diseases, but does warn of possible skin irritation on contact.
The public campaign is only one part of the control effort. Beijing is also deploying the natural enemy Chouioia cunea, a parasitic wasp intended to limit the moth’s reproduction. According to China’s forestry authority, nearly 1.1 billion of these wasps have been released and almost 3,000 monitoring points have been established to track the spread.
An expert from Beijing Forestry University said, according to the government source, that collecting caterpillars can help locally but is not a primary measure. Other elements include removing web nests, trapping pupae, installing light traps and deploying natural enemies. China’s approach therefore consists of a combination of manual work, monitoring and biological control.
The South China Morning Post confirmed that the invasive moth has affected large parts of Beijing and surrounding areas this year. However, there is no indication that the infestation is already under control or that the public campaign can stop the spread on its own. The catch figures come from Chinese government and media sources.
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The reporting on the competition, control measures and ecological damage comes from a Chinese government source and an independent international newspaper. Claims about effectiveness have been presented cautiously.
- confirmed Competitions are being organised in Beijing to collect Hyphantria cunea caterpillars. — Confirmed by China’s forestry authority and SCMP. source
- confirmed By 2 October, 1,153 people had collected around 230,000 caterpillars. — Reported by China’s national forestry authority. source
- confirmed The species can affect hundreds of plant species. — Mentioned by SCMP and the Chinese government source. source
- confirmed Beijing has released nearly 1.1 billion parasitic wasps. — Reported by China’s national forestry authority. source
- confirmed Collecting caterpillars is not a primary control measure. — The expert cited describes the campaign as supplementary and of limited efficiency. source
Editor's note
The figures for participants, caterpillars and released wasps come from Chinese government sources and have only been partially independently verified. According to experts, the method is regarded as a supplementary measure, not a proven solution to the infestation as a whole.Sources
- 从热议到参与 一场抓“毛毛虫”大赛带动全民保护生态 — National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China
- Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests — South China Morning Post
- 2026年北京市美国白蛾防治实施方案 — Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „beijing invasieve soorten”
- Trouw — „beijing invasieve soorten”
- RTL Nieuws — „beijing invasieve soorten”