|
Invasive Pest Seen for First Time in California
By Anonymous — Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Interception Follows Recent First in Port Pest Discovery
LOS ANGELES, CA – U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Los Angeles/ Long Beach Seaport intercepted a live adult beetle which was recently identified as strongylaspis corticarius, Ancita species, (cerambycidae), a first time find in the state of California. This beetle was intercepted one other time in the United States in Miami (1999), according to local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist in conjunction with the Smithsonian Systematic Entomology Laboratory. CBP agriculture specialists discovered this pest in a shipment of fresh pineapples from Costa Rica. An emergency action notification was issued for immediate re-exportation. Cerambycidae (commonly known as beetles who are cousins to the Asian Long-Horned beetles) are very destructive wood boring pests. The larvae of these beetles consume wood, bark, stems, sap and other plant fluids which pose a serious threat to our national forest and timber industry. “While most foreign importations may unknowingly introduce invasive species into the U.S., the potential for such pests to create both environmental and economic havoc is astonishing. CBP agriculture specialists, in cooperation with USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) / Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) take an aggressive approach to safeguarding our homeland by preventing those potential pest threats from entering the United States,” stated Director of Los Angeles Field Office Todd Owen. Last month, CBP agriculture specialists at the Los Angeles International Airport intercepted a live adult beetle identified by local USDA entomologist as Cholus species (curculionidae), a first in the Port. CBP agriculture specialists discovered this pest in a shipment of fresh cut flowers from Costa Rica. An emergency action notification was issued and the shipment was treated at an approved facility under USDA supervision. Curcilionidae (also commonly known as beetles) are destructive pests of fruit, seeds, cotton and other plant material. One of the most well known is the boll weevil, which lays its eggs and feeds inside cotton bolls, and ruins the crop. These two kinds of beetles are amongst more than 350,000 species which comprise the Order Coleoptera. Beetles account for 40% of insect species, roughly a quarter of all living species on the planet. Since the beginning of fiscal year 2011, Los Angeles Office of Field Operations CBP agriculture specialists have submitted over 8,500 pest interceptions, with almost 4,000 of these being categorized as “actionable” noxious invasive pests. About CBP |
