Lommel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Rowen Boons spotted a large pupa robber beetle in the Lommel Sahara. It naturally controls oak processionary caterpillars. First bred in Western Europe in 2023 by a nature centre.
As HLN News reported, a special find in the Lommel Sahara, in the province of Limburg, Belgium, could help control a pesky pest. Rowen Boons shared a photo of a large pupa robber with a news platform. He mentioned that people hiking in Limburg might not see this beetle often, but it’s becoming more common.
As per Rowen Boons, the large Pupa Robber Beetle feeds on the Oak processionary caterpillars; the caterpillars themselves are a huge problem in Europe, including Belgium. They have tiny hairs which cause allergic reactions, respiratory issues and skin reactions.
He mentioned that the caterpillars are most active in summer, moving in long lines between oak trees. It’s hard and costly to control them, often involving harmful chemicals or removing nests by hand. This can affect other animals and the environment.
What makes the large pupa robber beetle a natural pest solution?
The large pupa robber beetle is a natural flip-side caterpillar control agent. This beetle is unique in that it feeds on caterpillar pupa and is not sensitive to the caterpillar’s stinging hairs. This eating removes the caterpillar in the pupa stage, which lowers the number of adult caterpillars.
According to experts, this makes the beetle an ideal biological control agent for the pests populating the caterpillar life stage and can do so without releasing harmful chemicals into the environment. If the beetle can survive in the wild, that can save cities and forest managers money in managing the caterpillar population.
The large pupa robber beetle is now living in the Lommel Sahara. According to the officials, this is a good example of how science, conservation, and people working together can solve environmental problems. We need to keep watching the beetle, but this early success gives hope for natural solutions to Europe’s pest problems.
Last year, a nature centre bred the beetle for the first time in Western Europe. Officials mentioned that this was a big step for insect conservation and pest control. The beetle’s appearance in the wild suggests the breeding program is working.
