Rare pest Diabrotica found in palm shipment at Brownsville port

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A rare pest was found in a shipment of palm foliage by agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville.

The agency's news release said the discovery happened on March 13 at the bridge's import lot. The shipment of palm foliage was referred to the dock for an intensive agriculture inspection.

Upon inspection, CBP agriculture specialists found a live pest on a palm leaf. The pest was submitted to a U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist for identification.

Pictured: Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly was found in a shipment of palm foliage on March 13 at the Veterans International Bridge in the Brownsville import lot. Photo courtesy: USCBP.

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, according to the news release.

“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. 

Experts say 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 rootworm.

First identified in 1879, Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly has a known distribution in Guatemala and Mexico.

CBP said the shipment of palm foliage was re-exported to Mexico.