CBP discovers first in nation pest at Port of Baltimore

A first in nation pest was discovered Nov. 12 inside a container of ceramic tile from Italy at the Baltimore Seaport.    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations agriculture specialists at the Port of Baltimore made a first in nation pest discovery Nov. 12, CBP said.
   The pest was a Chaetocnema breviuscula Felderman (Chrysomelidae), which is a beet flea beetle that chews holes in leaves of agricultural crops. Plants affected by the pest suffer badly and typically die.
   The beet flea beetle was discovered inside a container of ceramic tile from Italy.
   “Keeping this pest out of the nation saves the American agricultural industry from the expense of eradication, and the hardship of finding their crops damaged by a new danger,” CBP Area Port Director for the Port of Baltimore Dianna Bowman said. “By stopping destructive species at the border, before they can enter the United States for the first time, CBP officers and agriculture specialists protect this vital American industry.”