Insect migration panorama was always regarded as a ‘black box’ before radar entomology was borne in 1968. Comprehensive and intensive studies have been undertaken in UK

USA

Australia and China since then. Although many new phenomena and their mechanisms in the process of insect migration have been revealed by radar and the technique’s utility for insect migration research is clearly established

it is

however

the complexity of the equipment and labor intensive nature of the data analysis procedures in radar entomology that form a giant obstacle to apply the technique to become a practicable and economic proposition for routine and long term monitoring. The development of the ZLC configuration enable radar entomology entering a new era. The current emphasis on short term

and intensive studies on emigration events will be replaced by long term monitoring and to the detection of immigration events. Fully automatic

unattended operation

with immediate analysis and processing of the observations and full dissemination of reports within 24 hours

will hopefully let the outbreak forecasting of migratory insect pests to be operational. The characteristics of the ZLC radar and its prospects of application in China are reviewed. Developing a VLR network in China and combining with the GIS technique will produce an operational surveillance system for migratory pest outbreaks. Possible applications include monitoring the side effect of large scale pesticide spraying

comparing insect diversity in different environment

and monitoring the effects of environmental change such as deforestation or varying pollution levels.