Rare Pest Found at California Port in Celery Shipment From Mexico: CBP

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch is seen on the arm of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Mission, Texas, on July 1, 2019. (Loren Elliott/Reuters)

Agriculture specialists at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday said they found one rare and one usual pest in a shipment of fresh celery that arrived from Mexico.

The discovery occurred on Jan. 16 at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility in San Diego, California. According to a CBP release, one of the specialists referred the driver and cargo load for an intensive inspection following an initial examination.

In the inspection area, specialists found one live Chrysomelidae (leaf beetle) and one live Lepidoptera (moth) within the celery. The traveler and shipment were then returned directly to Mexico.

The pest was sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Identifiers for further identification.

A chrysomelidae (left) and a lepidoptera pest (right) were discovered by CBP agents during an inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on Jan. 16, 2023 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

The Lepidoptera pest was identified two days later by the local USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) PPQ entomologist as the actionable Copitarsia species, the CBP said. The Chrysomelidae beattle was also later identified as the actionable Isotes multipunctate.

An “actionable” species classification for the USDA means that whenever the organism is detected in imported goods, shipments must be disinfected, destroyed, or returned to the country of origin.

The family Chrysomelidae covers approximately 35,000 species of beetles that can be found throughout the world, especially in tropical regions. The CBP said this is the first time this particular type of leaf beetle has been intercepted at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Meanwhile, the genus Copitarsia includes 26 species of moths found from Mexico through to South America, where they are considered agricultural pests for at least 48 crop plants. Eggs and larvae of Copitarsia species are frequently intercepted on fresh commodities arriving in the United States from countries in these regions.

“Foreign insects, plant and animal diseases, and invasive plants can be harmful to United States agriculture,” said CBP Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa Hernandez.

“It is an important part of the CBP mission to identify and stop pests and diseases at the border prior to entering the country.”

CBP encourages travelers to declare all agricultural items to a CBP officer upon arrival. In January, the agency warned all travelers that certain agricultural items, such as raw eggs and poultry from Mexico, are prohibited from entry into the United States, and failure to declare these items may result in monetary penalties.

“There has been a large increase in the volume of prohibited food items, such as raw eggs and raw poultry meat, brought by travelers from Mexico. We would like to remind the traveling public that federal agricultural regulations remain in effect,” said Jennifer De La O, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego.