An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. Detroit CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Khapra Beetle

Detroit CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Khapra Beetle

Release Date
Tue, 04/24/2012

Detroit - U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists (CBPAS) from the Fort Street Cargo Facility in Detroit intercepted live larvae of the invasive species Trogoderma granarium (Everts), commonly known as the Khapra Beetle.

Agriculture specialists identified for inspection an incoming sea container from the Ivory Coast destined for Washington State containing wood veneer. Upon arrival on April 5, the container was examined for possible wood packing pests. Discovered within a rodent nest inside cardboard packing were several live larvae feeding on corn seed. CBP agriculture specialists suspected the larvae were Khapra Beetles, one of the world's most feared stored-product pests, nominated as one of the 100 worst invasive species worldwide. Wheat, peanuts, barley, oats, corn, and dried orange pulp are just a few of the items this pest destroys. The larvae and images were submitted to the USDA and on April 16, and the larvae were confirmed as Khapra Beetle.

"Khapra Beetle can cause serious economic damage to our agricultural interests," said Roderick Blanchard, port director for the area port of Detroit. "CBP agriculture specialists are committed to protecting our nation's agriculture industry."

The shipment was quarantined and an Emergency Action Notification (EAN) was issued. The USDA will treat the container by fumigation and afterwards will allow it to proceed to its final destination.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021