U.S. Customs and Border Safety (CBP) has revealed that CBP agriculture specialists (CBPAS) on the Otay Mesa cargo crossing in San Diego intercepted two pests on two completely different events. Native U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Safety and Quarantine (PPQ) recognized them to be “First-in-Port” and “First-in-Nation.”
The latest discovery was on June 22, when a cargo of rambutan fruit arrived on the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility. CBP officers referred the cargo for additional agricultural inspection. Through the inspection, a CBPAS found three specimens of Pseudococcidae. The specimens had been submitted to native USDA APHIS PPQ and had been then referred to a specialist for identification.
On June 24, the USDA APHIS PPQ specialist recognized two of the three species of Pseudococcidae as actionable species Maconellicoccus hirsutus and Paraputo larai. Additionally they confirmed the Paraputo larai as a “first-in-port” interception of this species. Many species of Pseudococcidae, also called mealybugs, are thought-about pests as they feed on plant juices of vegetation and timber and act as a vector for a number of plant ailments. Lately, a number of the mealybug species have develop into invasive pests in localities posing an important downside to the brand new agro-ecosystems.
The opposite incident occurred on Might 29, when a truck entered the U.S. from Mexico on the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility with a cargo of flowers. CBP officers referred the truck to the dock for agriculture inspection. A CBPAS conducting a hands-on inspection of the flowers discovered a reside beetle on one of many flowers, a Cerambycidae on Solidaster sp. (CF). The specimen was submitted to the native USDA APHIS PPQ identifiers after which referred to a nationwide specialist for identification.
On Might 31, the pest was recognized by the USDA APHIS PPQ nationwide specialist as actionable Dihammaphora sp. (Cerambycidae) in all probability Dihammaphora hispida. Per native USDA APHIS PPQ, this qualifies as a “first-in-port” and “first-in-nation” interception for Dihammaphora hispida. All identified longhorn beetle larvae feed on plant tissue similar to stems, trunks, or roots of each herbaceous and woody vegetation, usually in injured or weak timber. The larvae bore into wooden, the place they’ll trigger widespread damage to both dwelling timber or untreated lumber, inflicting in depth financial harm.
Each vehicles and their shipments had been returned to Mexico by CBP agriculture specialists as a precautionary measure.
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