Tree-Munching American White Moth Threatens Beijing "Green Olympics" Plan

[hatrack]

EDIT

The American White Moth, native to North American forests, threatened thousands of hectares of trees planted around Beijing as part of the campaign to host an environmentally friendly Games in 2008, they said.

Wu Jian, chief engineer of the forestry department, told China's state news agency Xinhua that efforts to present a green city to the world could be in vain if the pest was not effectively controlled.

The moth is a prolific breeder that can lay up to 3,000 eggs at a time, with larvae capable of stripping a healthy tree of foliage in a matter of days.

The State Forestry Administration said on Wednesday it had mobilised environmental defence forces across the region to counter the threat to forests in northern China. Xinhua did not say what sexually attracting agents were being used or how they helped eliminate the moths.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/35846/story.htm

[megatherium]

1. 20 years ago, when I was in grad school in Eugene, Oregon,

they had a gypsy moth outbreak to deal with. This pest was a grave threat to the logging industry. They dealt with it using the biological agent BT, which they sprayed on Lane County using helicopters. It seemed that dawn was the preferred time for this. Every morning for some weeks, I would be woken up by the Ride of the Valkeries...

[stubtoe]

2. It's our revenge for Kudzu.

.

[skids]

3. Now there's a story you don't hear everyday.

I was beginning to think North American species were somehow inferior with all the reports of snakehead invasions and zebra mollusks and whatnot. First time I've heard of our species invading another habitat (unless you count lawyers.)

[Dead_Parrot]

4. That's astounding....

America is exporting to something to China?

:wow:

:evilgrin:

[phantom power]

7. Every one of those moths comes with a "proudly made in USA" sticker.

[kestrel91316]

5. So I guess this is payback for that Asian Longhorn Beetle???

[stubtoe]

6. What goes around comes around!