Sverdlovsk Region is currently experiencing a severe infestation of gypsy moth caterpillars, leading to widespread defoliation of trees in several districts. Residents have reported significant damage to forests, with trees stripped bare of their leaves in areas of Bogdanovich, Irbit, and Baikalovsky.

The caterpillars, identified as gypsy moths by Dr. Alexey Gilev of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are known pests that can cause considerable harm to forests. The presence of blue and red warts on the caterpillars is a distinctive feature of this species.

Readers have described the rapid devastation, noting that the caterpillars consume everything in their path, leaving only bare branches behind. The scale of the infestation is so large that many crushed caterpillars can be found on roads as they migrate to new feeding grounds.

This outbreak appears to be a continuation of a phenomenon that began last year, and such outbreaks typically last for 3-4 years before subsiding. While gypsy moths are particularly fond of birch leaves, they can also pose a threat to gardens and other vegetation.