Brownsville Port of Entry CBP agriculture specialists intercept rare first in port pest

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations at the Veterans International Bridge import lot intercepted a rare “First in Port” pest in a shipment of palm foliage.

The interception occurred on March 13 at the Veterans International Bridge import lot when a shipment consisting of palm foliage was referred to the dock for an intensive agriculture inspection. Upon inspection of the palm foliage, CBP agriculture specialists found a live pest on a palm leaf which was submitted to a U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist for identification. The initial identification was confirmed by a national specialist as Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly, an actionable pest intercepted for the first time in the Brownsville Port of Entry.

“The work performed by CBP agriculture specialists at our ports of entry plays an important part in safeguarding our American agriculture by preventing the dissemination of pests and animal and plant diseases,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

Diabrotica is a large, widespread genus of beetles in the Chrysomelidae family. Members of the genus include several destructive agriculture species sometimes referred to as corn rootworms. Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly was first identified in 1879 and has known distribution in Guatemala and Mexico.

The shipment of palm foliage was re-exported to Mexico.

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