Invasive Species - What's New on NISIC's Site

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking the public to look for and report signs of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). APHIS declares August is “Tree Check Month” and asks everyone to look for signs of this destructive, invasive beetle by checking trees on your property and in your community for damage. Left unchecked, ALB can cause infested trees to die.

The Gambian giant pouched rat is native to African. It was discovered in Florida in 2004, but was first introduced in 1999. The rat was released by an exotic pet breeder. This species is a large rodent capable of becoming highly destructive to agricultural crops and native species and may also serve as a vector of several diseases.

The honey bee varroa mite was first detected in Asia and was introduced to the U.S. in 1987. It's means of introduction was via commercial transportation of infested bee colonies. The varroa mite is a serious worldwide pest of the European honeybee and is a major cause of colony collapses.

Sweet orange scab is native to South America. It was introduced to the U.S. in 2010, most likely through the movement of infected nursery stock. It's a fungus affecting the fruit of sweet orange and mandarin cultivars.

The tomato leaf miner was originally thought to be native to Central America, but now believed to have originated in Peru. This pest is not yet present in the United States. It may be transported through the fruit trade and it's impact caused yield losses of up to 100% in tomatoes.

Citrus black spot was first discovered in Australia and was introduced to the U.S. in 2010. The means of introduction was possibly through the importation of unregulated and/or non-commercial infected fruit. Citrus black spot is a fungal disease of citrus that decreases yields by causing external blemished and premature fruit drop. 

The callery pear (bradford pear) is native is East Asia and was imported to the U.S. in 1908 and first sold commercially in 1961. Callery pear trees forms dense thorny thickets, produces flowers with an offensive odor, and produces large amounts of fruit that litter sidewalks. Additionally, the ‘Bradford’ cultivar is extremely susceptible to damage from storms due to branches having narrow crotch angles; these trees will also split under their own weight after 15-20 years of growth.

The Argentine black and white tegu is native to South American and the first established population in the U.S. was documented in Florida in 2006. It's means of introduction was via the pet trade and the Argentine black and white tegu is a generalist omnivore that preys on many native species.

People ship and receive packages using express courier companies—like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and others—all the time. But when the package includes an agricultural item, things could get dangerous for U.S agriculture and natural resources.

“You should know what could be hitchhiking in or on those items—invasive plant and animal diseases and pests,” said Dr. Mark Davidson, Deputy Administrator of USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine. “Once these threats enter our country, they could harm our crops, livestock, and ecosystems. Left unchecked, they could devastate entire agricultural industries, eliminating jobs, threatening our food supply, and costing billions of dollars in losses and response costs.”

Beach leaf disease was first observed in Ohio in 2012. It's means of introduction is unknown, although it may have arrived in North America through the transport of wood with an invertebrate vector. It causes a disease of beech trees that disfigures leaves and can lead to tree mortality.