New Insect Species Arrives at Dundalk Marine Terminal

Authorities say the Port of Baltimore received a new kind of pest recently: a crop-destroying moth that could have taken a bite out of the agricultural industry in the U.S.

Called Lymantria xylina Swinhoe, the moth arrived aboard a ship from Japan, where this particular type of moth is found. It has never been identified in the United States, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

The moth eats more than 63 types of plants and is known to feed on hardwood and fruit trees.

By stopping its entry to the U.S. at the port, officials helped avert a crisis that could have impacted the agricultural industry in America, according to Dianna Bowman, Customs and Border Patrol Director for the Port of Baltimore.

“Keeping this pest out of the nation saves the American agricultural industry from the expense of eradication, and the hardship of finding their crops damaged by a new danger,” Bowman said.

Moth eggs were found Aug. 24 on the deck of a ship that had arrived at Dundalk Marine Terminal carrying vehicles from Japan, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Once agricultural specialists removed the eggs and sent them to the lab, they treated the area with insecticide, the statement said.

An entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the species as Lymantria xylina Swinhoe, and on Sept. 11, the department confirmed that this was the first time it had been identified in the U.S.

Photo of Dundalk Marine Terminal courtesy of the Maryland Port Administration.