That’s a first: Rare pest intercepted at Brownsville port

There was a “rare” first at the Veterans International Bridge last month.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release that its agriculture specialists intercepted a rare pest from a shipment of palm foliage on March 13.

After a shipment consisting of palm foliage was referred to the dock for an intensive agriculture inspection, CBP agriculture specialists found a live pest on a palm leaf, the release stated.

The pest was submitted to an entomologist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for identification. They confirmed it was a Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly. Officials said in the release this is the first time the actionable pest had been intercepted at the Brownsville port of entry.

The Diabrotica is a large, widespread genus of beetle in the Chrysomelidae family (also known as leaf beetle), officials said in the release.

Members of the genus, which sometimes are referred to as corn rootworms, include several destructive agriculture species.

According to a 2022 study, there are an estimated 400 species in that genus alone.

CBP noted that the Diabrotica sexmaculata Baly was first identified in 1879, and has known distribution in Guatemala and Mexico.

As a result of the interception, CBP said the shipment of palm foliage was re-exported to Mexico.

“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,” Brownsville Port Director Tater Ortiz said in the release.

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