INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations agriculture specialists intercepted beetle larvae at the International Falls port of entry on May 12.
Minnesota, discovered Khapra beetle larvae in a
shipment from China. The Khapra beetle is
considered one of the world’s most destructive
pests of grain products and seeds.
CBP agriculture specialists discovered the larvae in a commercial shipment manifested as welding wire from China. CBP submitted the specimen to the United States Department of Agriculture regional laboratory for testing and identification. On May 21, the USDA entomologist identified the pest as Trogoderma granarium Everts (Khapra beetle). The shipment was sealed to prevent potential contamination.
“The Khapra beetle is a dangerous pest to American agriculture,” said CBP Area Port Director Jason Schmelz. “This discovery is an excellent example of how dedicated our agriculture specialists are in protecting our nation’s crops and natural resources.”
The Khapra beetle is an extremely serious threat to stored grain and other stored products. This pest has been discovered in a variety of packaging material such as burlap bags, corrugated boxes and in animal hides. Native to India, the Khapra beetle has spread to other countries in Africa, the Middle East, the Near East, pockets of Europe and Eastern Asia. The Khapra beetle is considered one of the world’s most destructive pests of grain products and seeds.