Laboratory produced killer beetles will save pine trees in the Sakarya province of northwestern Turkey from destruction by predatory “tent worms.” Nearly 100,000 specially produced beetles called Calosoma will be released into the wild to hunt the tent worms.
The tent worms known by their official Latin title of Thaumetopea Pityocampa are actually not worms at all but instead catepillers that burrow into trees by creating a white tent-like structure around parts of a tree. These caterpillers have destroyed many trees throughout forests in northwestern Turkey in the past few years.
The Calosoma beetle is a natural enemy of tent-worm caterpillers and Turkish authorizes hope the Calosoma “terminator” beetles will be successful in hunting and killing large numbers of tent worms. Earlier studies have shown the Calosoma Beetle has been successful at reducing the numbers of Thaumetopea Pityocampa. (Cihan)
