World’s Most Destructive Insect Found At Dulles, BWI Airports

HERNDON, VA — A small but economically devastating insect, the Khapra beetle, was found in passenger bags by federal officials at Dulles and BWI airports. The beetle is deemed "one of the world’s most destructive insect pests of stored grains, cereals and seeds," according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Because the beetle is difficult to kill — it can survive insecticides and fumigants, and stay alive even during long periods without food — it is the only insect in which customs agents takes regulatory action, even if the insect is dead.

An agency news release Thursday said the beetle can invade stored grains, cereals and seeds. The Khapra beetle is labeled a ‘dirty feeder’ because it damages more grain than it consumes, and because it contaminates grain with body parts and hairs. The bug's droppings may cause gastrointestinal irritation in adults and especially sicken infants.

In both seizures, an entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that the suspects pests spotted by agents were the Khapara beetles. Customs worker incinerated all the contaminated foods.

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Agriculture specialists at BWI on Feb. 23 found two live adult Khapra beetles, one dead immature larva, and several cast skins in two pounds of insect-infested, prohibited cow peas that a New York City resident brought from Nigeria. And on Jan. 24, a specialist at Dulles Airport discovered four live Khapra beetle adults, 12 live larvae, and several dead larvae and cast skins throughout a five-kilogram bag of prohibited basmati rice that a Washington, D.C., resident brought from Saudi Arabia.

“Khapra beetle is one of the most invasive and destructive insects that Customs and Border Protection may encounter, and it poses a significant threat to our nation’s agriculture industries and to our export economy,” said Dianna Bowman, CBP Area Port Director for Baltimore. “Protecting America’s agricultural resources is of paramount concern to CBP, and it’s a mission that our agriculture specialists take very serious.”

According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, previous infestations of Khapra beetle have resulted in massive, expensive long-term control and eradication efforts. In 1953, California eradicated the pest following a Khapra beetle infestation was discovered there. The effort was deemed successful, but at a cost of about $11 million. Calculated in today’s dollars, that would be about $90 million, officials said.

“This interception is another example that demonstrates the unwavering commitment of Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists in safeguarding America’s agriculture by tirelessly inspecting travelers and goods arriving to the United States every day,” said Casey Owen Durst, CBP’s Field Operations Director in Baltimore.

On a typical day nationally, CBP agriculture specialists seize 4,638 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products, and intercept 352 agriculture pests and diseases.

Travelers can visit CBP’s Travel website to learn more about the CBP admissions process and rules governing travel to and from the U.S. Learn more about CBP at CBP.gov.

Photo: Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at BWI and Dulles Airports intercepted Khapra beetles in traveler baggage. Courtesy Customs and Border Protection