The so-called “caterpillar rain” that many mistook for a biological disaster is actually a common bloom of the Chinese poplar tree.
Recently, a video went viral on Twitter and various foreign media outlets rushed to report that a “caterpillar rain” had fallen in Liaoning Province, mainland China, causing a “biological disaster.” In response, Lu Media pointed out that it is not caterpillars at all, but rather a common flower from the poplar tree.
Image regarded as caterpillar rain in Liaoning, China.
Recently, images of what is referred to as “caterpillar rain” in Liaoning, China, have been spreading rapidly. The New York Post and The Rio Times reported that a biological disaster had occurred in Liaoning, with insects appearing in the sky and then falling like rain onto the streets, covering cars with what appeared to be caterpillars and insects. Local residents had to carry umbrellas when going outside and seek shelter to avoid being hit by these insects.
Other media outlets also reported on the situation, noting that it is currently unclear why this rather horrific biological event occurred. Subsequently, the scientific magazine Mother Nature Network speculated that the creatures may have been blown away by strong winds, suggesting that such events typically happen after a storm, where strong winds can carry insects several kilometers before they eventually fall back down as a kind of insect rain.
Flowers of the Populus tomentosa, a type of tree in the willow family, commonly grown in China.
However, Chinese media quickly refuted this and provided a reasonable explanation: what people thought was insect rain or a biological disaster is actually flowers from the Populus tomentosa, an extremely common tree in China, scientifically known as Populus tomentosa, which is a flowering plant in the willow family.
