Whether raccoons, nutria, Chinese king crabs or American bullfrogs: what all these creatures have in common is that they have managed to spread across large parts of the globe, successfully adopting to the new habitats, there. This also applies to many invasive plants and insects. Representatives of two harmful bugs have now been discovered by agriculture specialists from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), during a targeted control operation at Washington Dulles International Airport.
The vermin detected are a plant bug and a seed beetle, hidden in a shipment of flowers originating and flown in from South Africa. The flowers were destined for a recipient in King George County, Virginia – halfway between Washington D.C. and Richmond. Agricultural specialists secured the specimens and sent them to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Voracious appetite
Their entomologists identified the specimens as Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) and Oxycarenus maculatus (Protea seed bug). Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) is a plant bug that has a voracious appetite and causes extensive damage to vegetation. After intercepting the insect, USDA specialists consulted the national pest identification database and confirmed that it was a first-time find, meaning that no Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) has ever before been detected in the region.
The other species, Oxycarenus maculatus, is also known as the Protea seed beetle. These insects are crop pests and pose a serious threat to the crop industries such as corn, grains, wheat, cotton, fruit, tree nuts, and vegetables. Following the interception, the USDA entomologist consulted the national pest identifier database and confirmed that this insect pest has not been observed at Dulles Airport or the greater Washington region since November 1984.
Continuous training programs
“Invasive insect pests pose a severe threat to our nation’s economic security,” said Marc Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director of Washington, D.C. “Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists remain steadfast on our nation’s frontline, protecting our natural and agricultural resources from invasive pests and plants, and from animal and plant diseases that could cripple our nation’s economy.”
In a release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection emphasizes that their specialists constantly undergo extensive training and gain valuable practical experience through field operations in both air and ocean cargo inspections. During a typical day, CBP agriculture experts across the nation seize 3,287 prohibited plant, meat, animal byproducts, invasive weeds, and other illicit imports, and intercept 231 insect pests at U.S. ports of entry.
