A species of moth, known as "fall webworm," is expected to
plague a wider area this year as abnormally warm weather helped
more of the insects survive the winter.
About 270,000 hectares in north China's Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, northeast China's Liaoning, and east China's Shandong may be plagued by the fall webworm
this year, according to sources with the forestry bureau of Hebei
Province.
This picture, taken in October 2006,
shows the larvae of American white moths that plagued Luannan
County, north China's Hebei Province.
An official with the bureau said the five areas will join
together to control the spread of the destructive moths to ensure
the ecological safety of Beijing, a top priority before the Olympic Games in 2008.
Last year, a plague of "fall webworm" broke out in the same
regions, affecting 234,000 hectares.
The moth, dubbed "the leaf killer," can defoliate leafy plants
and trees, such as willows, elms, and poplars in a matter of days,
experts said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)
