After the Lovebug subsides, 'this' appears... The number is rapidly increasing

[Financial News] Recently, the population of the invasive pest 'American White Moth' is rapidly increasing.

On the 10th, the Korea Forest Service's National Institute of Forest Science announced that it has upgraded the forecast for the occurrence of the American White Moth from 'interest' to 'caution'.

The National Institute of Forest Science surveyed 1,600 deciduous trees in 32 regions nationwide and found that the damage rate of the first generation (from egg to larva, pupa, and then adult, completing one life cycle) larvae of the American White Moth was 15.8% (May to June). The damage rate of the second generation (larvae hatched from eggs laid by the first generation adults, growing into adults in the second life cycle) is expected to reach 26.9%.

The spread of the American White Moth is presumed to be due to an increase in the number of generations caused by climate change. In particular, as the activity period has lengthened due to rising temperatures in spring and autumn, the possibility of a third generation occurring has increased.

Kim Min-jung, a researcher at the Forest Pest Research Department of the National Institute of Forest Science, said, "As the generations repeat, the population increases exponentially, so early detection is important," and explained, "To reduce larval damage in summer (August) and autumn (October), intensive monitoring and control measures are needed from mid-July to early August, when the second generation larvae first appear."

The American White Moth causes significant damage to forests and crops and is mainly active in Korea during the summer (June to August).

It is native to North America and was first discovered in Busan, Korea, in 1958. It is believed to have been introduced through imported wood.

The larvae have many white hairs on their bodies and have black stripes on their yellow or brown bodies. The adults have white wings with a wingspan of about 3-4 cm.

The female adult lays 200-1,000 eggs at a time on the underside of leaves. It occurs 2-3 times a year and reproduces intensively, especially in summer.

During the larval stage, they voraciously eat leaves of street trees or deciduous trees, leaving only the leaf veins.

It can cause allergies, keratitis, and skin diseases in humans, so caution is needed.
 


gaa1003@fnnews.com An Gaeul Reporter