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aterpillars continue to swarm through vast tracts of Java and Bali, eating up plants and crawling into residential areas.

In Bali, caterpillars have already hit six of the eight regencies in less than four days, with island authorities quick to launch integrated measures to fight the plague.

I Made Sudana, dean of Udayana University’s school of agriculture, said a university team was working with authorities from the island’s agriculture and forestry agencies to stop caterpillars spreading to other areas.

“It takes two weeks for caterpillars to transform into cocoons and later moths. Before they can fly and spread to a wider area, we have to eliminate the creatures,” Sudana, who leads the university team, said.

The plague has hit Buleleng in North Bali, Denpasar, Gianyar, Tabanan, Karangasem, Klungkung and Jembrana in West Bali. Last Monday, only three regencies (Buleleng, Denpasar and Tabanan) were affected.

The caterpillars have already swarmed through farmlands, forests and residential areas.

In Central Java, the provincial agriculture, food crops and horticultural agency said caterpillars had spread to 17 regencies and cities as of Wednesday.

“The caterpillars attacked mango trees in some areas,” agency head Aris Budiono was quoted as saying in Semarang by Antara news agency.

He said the caterpillars had spread to Kendal, Demak, Kudus, Pemalang, Pekalongan and Semarang regencies, while the heaviest damage was done in Pemalang.

In Yogyakarta, people have taken to fending off the caterpillars that descended on the region two weeks ago by, among other things, using pesticides, burning them or cutting down affected tree branches.

The provincial agricultural agency reported caterpillars had swarmed into Yogyakarta and the regencies of Sleman, Bantul and Kulonprogo.

“The scale of the problem is not as serious as in Probolinggo, East Java. However, we still consider it a serious threat,” Bantul Agriculture and Forestry Agency head Edy Suharyanto said Thursday.

The caterpillar swarm first appeared in Probolinggo.

Edy added his agency had started looking at the various options available to fight off the pests. “Once the caterpillars ‘attack’, we will determine the species and use the appropriate pesticide to get rid of them,” he said.

The Yogyakarta Health Agency has allocated Rp 100 million (US$11,546) to tackle the infestation, especially as the furry insects have been found in and around a newly launched decorative plant market that borders Bantul.

Slamet Susanto contributed to this article from Yogyakarta