Pests New To U.S., Philadelphia, Discovered At Philadelphia Seaport
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the discovery of two pests, one new to the Philadelphia area and one that is new to the United States. The bugs were found in shipments of produce from other countries that came into the Philadelphia seaport.
The announcement was made on Wednesday and officials confirmed that the pests could "pose a significant threat to the U.S. agriculture industry as they can feed on various crops thereby reducing quality and yield."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) found a type of shield bug, known as Brachyplatys subaeneus Westwood, back in June in a shipment of pineapples from Costa Rica. The bug is known to be from Asia and officials say it is new to the U.S.
They add that the also discovered a moth in June, inside a shipment of kiwi from New Zealand, known as Thysanoplusia orichalcea. The bug is known to occur in Borneo, India, New Zealand, Spain, West Africa and Australia, according to experts. They say the bug is brand new to the Philadelphia area.
CBP secured both of the shipments for fumigation.