Customs Officials Stop Would-Be Invaders
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -- Customs officals made a unique and potentially dangerous discovery Dec. 20 after finding an invasive intruder in a shipment from Turkey.
The officials were inspecting a shipment of Travertine tile that traveled inside a container from the Middle East to Port Everglades carrying a stowaway insect that has never been introduced to the United States, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection release Friday.
The species of shield bug known as Eurygaster maura Linnaeus are not native to the United States, and although knowledge here of its biology and potential threat is limited, the animal has been known as a major pest in corn, wheat, rice and barley crops where it occurs naturally.
Customs officals have notified the shipment owners and have required them to fumigate the container and its contents before it can be offloaded.
