Customs' Insect Find in Texas Is a Nation First

Pronotacantha armata, which measures about seven to eight millimeters in size.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists at the Laredo, Texas, port of entry have intercepted a pest not previously encountered by Customs.

The interception occurred at the import lot at World Trade Bridge. The specialists examined a commercial shipment of celery and romaine lettuce and discovered a live insect. The pest was submitted for identification and was later confirmed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist to be Pronotacantha armata, which measures about seven to eight millimeters in size. It belongs to a family that contains insects that are predatory, as well as phytophagous or plant-eating.

The shipment was sent for fumigation by the USDA.