2 Harmful Insects Found In Flower Shipment At Dulles Airport: CBP

DULLES, VA — An entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that two insects discovered in a flower shipment arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport recently posed a potential threat to the country's agricultural and environmental resources, according to reports.

While inspecting a shipment of 188 protea and chamelaucium cut-stem flowers from South Africa on Oct. 7, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists found two insect species, according to CBP. The specimens were sent to the USDA, where an entomologist identified them as Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae), and Oxycarenus maculatus (Protea seed bug), which are found in Africa.

“Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) is a plant bug known to occur in South Africa that has a voracious appetite and causes extensive damage to vegetation. The USDA entomologist consulted the national pest identifier database and confirmed this as a first-in-port discovery, meaning there has been no previous reported discovery of Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae) in this region.

“Oxycarenus maculatus is also known as the Protea seed bug. Seed bugs are a crop pest and pose a serious threat to our nation’s crop industries, such as corn, grains, wheat, cotton, fruit, tree nuts, and vegetables. The USDA entomologist consulted the national pest identifier database and confirmed that this insect pest has not been observed locally since November 1984.”

Invasive insect pests pose a severe threat to the country’s agricultural industry and environmental resources, according to Marc Calixte, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.

“Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists remain steadfast on our nation’s frontline protecting our natural and agricultural resources from invasive pests and plants, and from animal and plant diseases that could cripple our nation’s economy,” he said.