The caterpillar plague that struck Probolinggo, East Java, is indeed extraordinary. Millions of caterpillars attacked more than 14,500 mango trees. Just as they metamorphosed into moths, news emerged that various other regions-from Bali, Kediri, Sleman, Kendal, to Jakarta-were facing caterpillar attacks.

Although the news sounds quite sensational, caterpillar invasions outside Probolinggo did not turn into a plague. In Kendal, for example, only 4