Beijing deploys parasitic wasps, contests to curb invasive fall webworm outbreak

Beijing authorities are releasing over a billion parasitic wasps and organizing caterpillar-catching competitions to control an outbreak of the invasive North American fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), which has blanketed trees in the capital and surrounding areas. The measure is an unconventional biological control response to an agricultural and urban pest, though its effectiveness and ecological impact remain uncertain. The outbreak underscores the spread of invasive species amid climate and trade factors.