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CBP finds rare pest in shipment of coconuts

2 years 8 months 6 days ago Monday, July 12 2021 Jul 12, 2021 July 12, 2021 3:04 PM July 12, 2021 in News - Local
By: KRGV Digital

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at the Pharr International Bridge intercepted a rare pest in a shipment of coconuts last month, according to a news release from the agency. 

Officials said CBP agriculture specialists at the Pharr cargo facility conducted an inspection on a commercial shipment of coconuts from Mexico and discovered the live pest for the first time in the nation.

The insect was submitted for identification to the U.S. Department of Agriculture entomology laboratory, where a national specialist confirmed it as Eburia nigrovittata. 

A member of the Cerambycidae family, the Eburia nigrovittata is a species of longhorn beetle; it feeds on stems, trunks, roots of herbaceous or woody plants, and can cause extensive damage to living trees or untreated lumber. 

According to USDA entomologists, the pest has never been found at any of the nation’s ports of entry. 

The shipment was refused entry and returned to Mexico. 

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