Potentially destructive giant scale insects found at Detroit airport

Potentially destructive giant scale insects found at Detroit airport ‘Pests like this can threaten America’s resources and wreak havoc among our most important economic sectors,’ one official said - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Giant scale insects never seen before at a U.S. port of entry were discovered by officials at a Detroit airport. The 5 millimetre bugs, which are part of the Aspidoproctus species, have the potential to cause environmental damage. They were found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists during a routine bag inspection at Detroit Metropolitan Airport earlier this year, the CBP says. The insects, which are covered by distinctive waxy protrusions, were seen feeding on fresh pine bark being transported from Cameroon to Illinois. The traveler, an unnamed citizen of Cameroon, had transported the bark for medicinal purposes, according to the CBP. They were released without incident and advised on U.S. regulations. “This first in-nation interception is significant because pests like this can threaten America’s resources and wreak havoc among our most important economic sectors,” Port Director Fadia Pastilong says. Officials at the CBP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture provisionally identified the insects as giant scales back in February, with the USDA finally confirming that they belonged to the Aspidoproctus species on August 7. According to the CBP, the African genus of scale bugs are among the largest of the world’s scale bugs and can grow up to 1.5 inches in length. Female scale bugs can reproduce in massive numbers, with each bug being capable of laying more than 5000 eggs. Nymphs - a term used to describe a growing stage in an insect’s life cycle - are carried on the wind, allowing the bugs to spread even further. Many types of scale bugs feed by sucking sap from plants, causing damage trees, vegetation and shrubs. “This encounter provided us with an opportunity to educate the traveling public of the dangers exotic plant matter poses to U.S. agriculture interests and showcases the diligence of our agriculture specialists in protecting the homeland,” Marty C. Raybon, director of field operations at the CBP, said on Friday. “There is no such thing as a small threat.” The development comes just weeks after the CBP confirmed another bug, never before seen at a U.S. Port of Entry, had been identified after being found at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Back in January, officials searched luggage being carried by a passenger from Ghana after being an agriculture detector canine reacted during a routine inspection. During a search of corn and seeds within the luggage, authorities discovered a winged insect. Like the traveler from Cameroon, the Ghanaian resident was advised on U.S. regulations and released without issue. On September 1, officials revealed that the species had been identified in August as the straw crest moth - an insect that feeds on plants in the rockrose family. The CBP says that the insects’ numbers are controlled in their natural habitats, located in Europe and Africa, by predators and plant resistance. However, problems arise when the bugs enter new environments without those natural controls. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments