Invasive Buff-tip Moth threatens Ladakh's farm-based economy

Key facts

• Scientists have recorded the presence of the invasive moth Phalera cf. bucephala, commonly known as the buff-tip moth, in the Suru Valley of the Kargil district in Ladakh.
• The research findings were published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa by a team from Government Degree College Zanskar, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kargil-I, and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
• The larvae of the buff-tip moth are voracious feeders capable of causing complete defoliation of host plants, such as Salix alba (white willow), within a period of 30 days.
• The moth infests various vegetation including poplar, sessile oak, apple, mountain ash, and walnut, and has been observed covering the valley from Minjee to Parkachik.
• Experts link the arrival and establishment of this invasive species to climate change and gradual warming observed in the traditionally cold desert of Ladakh over the past two decades.