Dangerous beetle found in LAX cargo

U.S. customs officials said Wednesday they had found a beetle considered one of the world's most dangerous agricultural pests in a shipment of rice arriving at Los Angeles International Airport.
Agricultural specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection found an adult khapra beetle, eight larvae and a shed skin in a shipment of Indian rice from Saudi Arabia last week, spokesman Jaime Ruiz said.
The khapra beetle, which is native to India and not currently established in the U.S., is considered one of the most destructive pests of grain products and seeds.
"It is endemic to several countries and the reason it is very dangerous is that its life cycle is very long and it goes into all kinds of food grains," Naveeda Mirza, agriculture program manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told Reuters.
The khapra beetle can also survive for long periods of time without food and is resistant to insecticides and fumigants. The rice was found in a box of food and personal effects being sent from one person to another, Mirza said.
The shipment was immediately quarantined and safeguarded, then destroyed under U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervision, Mirza said.
05/01/11 Dan Whitcomb/Country Guide

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Categories: Airports Jan 2011, Cargo Jan 2011, Foreign Jan 2011