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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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  3. Emerging Issues

Emerging Issues

Provides resources and alerts for newly discovered invasive species and Emerging Issues.

View related information: Research Search - Alert or Advisory

Spotlights

  • Invasive (freshwater mussel) Detected in California

    • Nov 5, 2024

    • DHS. Coast Guard.

    •  The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance was notified by the State of California on the detection and identification of golden mussel (Limnoperna Fortunie) in the Port of Stockton. To minimize the spread of the golden mussel it is recommended that operators continue to ensure that ballast water management systems are operational and used in accordance with the Operational Manual for that system.

  • Pest Tracker - Exotic Pest Detection By State

    • USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS). National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS).

    • Provides State pest detection contacts, recent state exotic pest news, links to state pest resources, and a list of state CAPS survey targets.
      See also: Pest List for information and maps, and CAPS Resource and Collaboration Site, includes National Priority Pest List.

All Resources

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Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this subject, organized by source.

Partnership

  • CAPS Guidelines

    • USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS).

    • The National CAPS Committee will revise the National Pest Surveillance Guidelines when annually reviewing the policy, strategy, and performance of the CAPS program. The NCC also will approve annually a “Priority Pest List.” This list will include the Commodity and Taxonomic Survey Pests, as well as Pests of Economic and Environmental Importance (OPEP Prioritized List). The Priority Pest List will be based on input by PPQ, the States, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST), National Identification Services (NIS), and commodity organizations.

Federal Government

  • Zebra Mussels Found in Aquarium Moss Balls

    • Invasive zebra mussels have been found in "moss balls” an aquarium plant product sold at aquarium and pet supply stores.  Zebra mussels are regarded as one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. Learn more about the situation, rapid response efforts by federal and state agencies, and how to properly destroy the moss balls to prevent the spread of zebra mussels.

  • PestLens

    • USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine.

    • PestLens is APHIS-PPQ's phytosanitary early-warning system that collects and distributes new information on exotic plant pests and provides a web-based platform for documenting safeguarding decisions and resulting actions. A weekly e-mail notification is sent to PestLens subscribers.
      Note: While PestLens was developed for PPQ, its audience now extends beyond PPQ to a wide range of international plant protection officials.

State and Local Government

  • Invasive Snakehead Fish Caught in Gwinnett County (Georiga)

    • Oct 8, 2019

    • Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Resources Division.

    • The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division confirmed someone found a northern snakehead in early October in a pond on private property in Gwinnett County, marking the first time the invasive fish has been found in the state. Fishermen who find a northern snakehead should take pictures, note where it was caught and then report it.

  • First Spotted Lanternfly Confirmed in Maryland: Marylanders Urged to Be Vigilant for New Invasive Species

    • Oct 25, 2018

    • Maryland Department of Agriculture.

    • The Maryland Department of Agriculture has confirmed that a single adult spotted lanternfly has been found on a trap in the northeast corner of Cecil County near the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware. This is the first confirmed sighting of the invasive species in Maryland, and the department does not believe there is an established population of the pest in the state. If you suspect you have found a spotted lantern fly egg mass, nymph, or adult, snap a picture of it, collect it, put it in a plastic bag, freeze it, and report it to the Maryland Department of Agriculture at DontBug.MD@maryland.gov.

Academic

  • Joro Spiders Likely to Spread Beyond Georgia

    • Mar 3, 2022

    • University of Georgia. UGA Today.

    • The Joro spider, native from Japan, first arrived stateside around 2013 and has since spread across the state and Southeast. But new research from the University of Georgia suggests the invasive arachnids could spread through most of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. Joros don't appear to have much of an effect on local food webs or ecosystems, said Andy Davis, corresponding author of the study and a research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology. They may even serve as an additional food source for native predators like birds.
      See also: Like it or not, Joro spiders are here to stay (News - Oct 26, 2020)