This day I was walking on the sidewalk, and suddenly with a whimper, a very large persimmon fell next to me, and a pia almost hit me on the head.
Just as I was glad I didn't have to go home to wash my hair and clothes, a gray-black caterpillar near the persimmon landing spot caught my attention. It walked unhurriedly, as if the thrilling scene just now had nothing to do with it.
This is an older larvae of the American white moth, but this persimmon tree has not yet been badly damaged by it, and the leaves cannot see too many bite marks. Is this bug passing by? Still walking, I don't know.
The American white moth (Hyphantria cunea) belongs to the insect class, the winged subclass, the lepidoptera, the order Lepidoptera, the lamp moth family, and the genus White Moth. Native to the Americas, it was introduced to the Korean Peninsula by US transport ships during the Korean War, into Dandong, China in 1979, to Shandong in 1981, and has now spread to most parts of the country.
These moths are small, adults are about 9-15 mm long, but they are super reproductive, and can reproduce three times a year. Each adult spawns up to 2,000 eggs and hatches of more than 90%.
Once the larvae hatch, they begin to harm the leaves of plants, and they generally live in groups and spit silk nets on trees, making it difficult for predators to cross the nets to prey on them.
The larval stage is about 30-40 days, during which it will molt 4 or 5 times, and a group of larvae may eat the leaves of a tree in 4-5 days.
The last generation of American white moths that occur each year overwinter in the form of pupae and feather again in April-May of the following year to begin the next cycle.
The General Office of the State Council once issued a special notice for the control of the American white moth, which is the second time in the history of China's forest pest control. The first notice was issued to control the famous pine wood nematodes. The attention of the state also fully demonstrates the urgency of controlling the American white moth.
This is because the American white moth possesses four very striking properties:
In addition to the persimmon tree mentioned at the beginning, especially like all kinds of flavored trees, such as plane trees, ailanthus, ash, mulberry, begonia, purple leaf plum, peach tree, elm tree, willow tree, etc., there is basically no plant they do not eat.
The second is strong reproductive ability, the American white moth breeds 2 to 3 generations a year, theoretically a female moth can breed 0.3 to 150 million offspring a year, they can eat all the leaves of 100 acres of forest.
Third, the adaptability is extremely strong, not only good at cold and heat resistance, but also full of vitality from minus 16 degrees Celsius to upper 40 degrees Celsius. They can also endure hunger, and the older larvae can survive for 10 to 15 days without food.
Fourth, the transmission ability is strong, adult insects through flight, larvae can spread outward 35 to 50 km per year through crawling. In addition to its strong ability to move, it is also good at long-distance transmission with the help of transportation. Both eggs and larvae can hide in a variety of cargoes and cross the ocean to new habitats.
Not only is our country deeply affected, but also in Eurasian countries.
Although the vitality of the American white moth is very tenacious, after understanding its temper, it is possible to eliminate them.
Adult American white moths have the characteristics of light and odor, and are more sensitive to odors, especially to fishy, fragrant and odorous. Adults can be trapped with lights or released pheromones during the feathering phase.
In the larval stage they can be destroyed by destroying the knotted net. In addition, in winter, the number of adult insects can be reduced by digging up pupae.
The natural enemies of the American white moth are mainly parasitic wasps and various predatory insects. At present, it can be bred and produced in large quantities, and is widely used in the prevention and control of the main wasps of Zhou's rodent. Chow's wasps are adept at laying eggs on American white moth pupae, parasitizing them to destroy them. We often see this kind of pupae in the tree, and inside is the Zhou's little wasp, so don't disturb them.
They hatch like this.
Various birds are also the main predators of the American white moth, and the chickens and ducks in the poultry are also fond of this caterpillar.
Summary: Although the American white moth is powerful, it is still preventable and controllable, if you meet it on the road, it is better not to touch it, after all, these hairs are still more exciting.
Thank you for watching.
A brief discussion on the occurrence and integrated control of the American white moth
Author: Zhou Fuyan Title: Agricultural Development and Equipment
Feasibility analysis and risk assessment of american white moth in Sichuan Province
Author: Li Tao; Li Zehua; Yu Zhongdong; Li Bin Title: Journal of Northwest A & F University: Natural Science Edition
A study on the growth of adult white moths in the United States in Beijing
Authors: Duan Yongyong; Cui Jianchen; Wang Haiwang; Kan Qingsong; Li Lingrui; Sun Donghui; Ding Jianyun; Title: Plant Quarantine