“First In The Nation” Pest Nabbed

"First In The Nation" Pest Nabbed

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On August 24, agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport discovered the live specimen while conducting an inspection of a shipment of perishable pineapples arriving from Costa Rica in a sea container. On August 26, USDA entomologists identified the insect as Acrogonia nigriceps (Cicadellidae) and confirmed that the insect was a “First in the Nation,” a new pest never seen before in the U.S.

Any insects from the Cicadellidae family, commonly known as leafhoppers, are significant pests in agriculture. They can cause severe damage and decrease yields on numerous cash crops including, grapes, potatoes, soybean, and corn.

Source: U.S. Customs and Border Security news release 

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