Entomologists at the US Department of Agriculture recently confirmed that US Customs and Border Protection
agriculture specialists at Washington Dulles International Airport successfully intercepted two insect pests that posed a threat to local agriculture.
How were the insects found?
According to the CBP, the two insect pests are especially notable as one has never been seen in the region, and the other has not been observed in the area in 40 years. They were discovered by CBP agriculture specialists while inspecting a shipment of 188 protea and chamelaucium cut-stem flowers imported from South Africa on October 7th and destined to an address in King George County, Virginia.
Agriculture specialists nationwide routinely inspect flower imports to ensure that they are free of pests that pose serious threats to our nation’s agricultural and environmental resources.
Photo: James Kirkikis | Shutterstock
The agents at Washington Dulles International Airport
(IAD) were forced to destroy the flowers, but they safeguarded the specimens and sent them to an entomologist at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
What kind of bugs were they?
The entomologist identified the specimens as Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) and Oxycarenus maculatus (Protea seed bug). The Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) is a plant bug known to occur in South Africa. It has a voracious appetite and causes extensive damage to vegetation. Notably, when the USDA entomologist consulted the national pest identifier database, they found there had been no previous reports of finding Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) in this region, making it a ‘first-in-port’ discovery.
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The other insect was an Oxycarenus maculatus, also known as the Protea seed bug. According to the agency, Seed bugs are a crop pest and pose a serious threat to our nation’s crop industries, such as corn, grains, wheat, cotton, fruit, tree nuts, and vegetables. While it has been spotted in the area before, the USDA entomologist confirmed that this insect pest has not been observed locally since November 1984. Marc Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, DC, noted how important the hard work of the agriculture specialists is to maintaining safety:
“Invasive insect pests pose a severe threat to our agricultural industries and to our nation’s economic security.
“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.”
Photo: SSnankZeed | Shutterstock
Last month, Dulles CBP officers apprehended someone carrying 71 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags attempting to board a flight to London. In October, officials seized $900,000 of cocaine, hidden between layers of coffee grounds and under a double layer of chocolate bars in hot chocolate packages.
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What do Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists do?
The agents have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection. They inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers and air and sea cargoes being imported to the United States daily across 328 ports of entry throughout the country, with the agency noting:
“They are on our nation’s frontlines, protecting our critical agricultural resources to ensure our economic resilience.”
CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, US businesses, national safety, and economic vitality.
During a typical day last year, CBP agriculture specialists across the nation seized 3,287 prohibited plants, meat, animal byproducts, and soil and intercepted 231 insect pests at US ports of entry.
