U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Detroit Metropolitan Airport intercepted remains of the khapra beetle, considered the world’s most invasive grain pest, last April. The incident occurred when a traveler arriving from Lebanon on April 18 was referred for a secondary agriculture inspection. During the examination, officers found a small bag of undeclared seeds intended for planting in the passenger’s luggage.
The traveler received a warning about the importance of declaring all agricultural goods before being released. CBP officers seized the seeds for further analysis.
Upon inspection, specialists discovered a single cast skin inside the bag of seeds. Local CBP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials initially identified the specimen as possibly being khapra beetle. Confirming this required detailed micro dissection due to similarities with related species. USDA later confirmed it was indeed khapra beetle.
“Khapra beetle is one of the many significant threats we face at our borders,” said Area Port Director Fadia Pastilong. “This particularly destructive insect is known to be extremely difficult to detect, which is why even intercepting a cast skin is a big deal.”
Because of its invasive nature, USDA classifies khapra beetle as quarantine significant regardless of whether it is alive or dead. Infestations can make stored products in warehouses or granaries inedible and have severe impacts on the agricultural economy. The pest can go dormant and shows resistance to pesticides, making eradication efforts lengthy and expensive.
“We understand there may not be an explicit intent to bring a destructive pest into the U.S., but that is why it is absolutely essential for travelers to make an honest declaration of what they are bringing in,” said CBP Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “This allows CBP personnel to examine items, if necessary, to determine if they are permissible and free of any potential threats.”
CBP urges travelers to declare all food and plant items upon arrival in order to help prevent exotic pests and diseases from entering the country.
CBP describes itself as America’s frontline agency responsible for enforcing lawful travel and trade while protecting national security across land, air, and sea borders with over 67,000 employees.
