Spore spreading insect intercepted at Detroit Metro Airport

A spore-spreading bug called Orsillus maculatus was discovered (photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol).

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    U.S. Customs and Border Protection specialists discovered a spore spreading pest at Detroit Metro Airport
    
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    Orsillus maculatus feeds on cypress and conifer trees and has become a problem for European plantations
    
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    It’s only the third time the bug has been intercepted while entering the U.S.
    

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  U.S. Customs and Border Protection specialists discovered a spore spreading pest at Detroit Metro Airport
  
• 
  Orsillus maculatus feeds on cypress and conifer trees and has become a problem for European plantations
  
• 
  It’s only the third time the bug has been intercepted while entering the U.S.
  

(FOX 2):At Detroit Metro Airport, a foreign pest that spreads fungal spores and threatens native conifer trees in Michigan and the United States was found.

In late 2024, Customs and Border Protection officers saw the insects in cypress tree cones coming in from Jordan.

The backstory

Late last year, while searching for undeclared cypress tree cones, agriculture experts inspecting packages coming from overseas discovered a non-native insect.

Experts saw the bugs, which were eventually identified as Orsillus maculatus, while doing a regular examination on a passenger coming from Jordan to Ohio. Allegedly, the cones were imported for medical use.

This is just the third time the bug has been stopped as it enters the United States. The earlier cases occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2018 and Dallas in 1998.

The bug is known to consume conifer species, of which there are numerous in the United States, in addition to cypress trees.

“Our CBP agriculture specialists made a great discovery,” Port Director Fadia Pastilong remarked. “We must be cognizant of all threats in the border environment, large and small.”

There have only been two previous interceptions of the spore-spreading bug entering the United States.The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol provided the image.

Look more closely:

The United States is home to both cypress and conifer tree types, which offer the surrounding land a number of advantages.

They improve water quality, lessen erosion, and offer important habitat for wildlife. Additionally, the trees contribute to the nation’s timber sector.

Orsillus maculatus has seriously harmed cypress plantings in Europe.

Additionally, the bug’s body contains fungal spores that disperse as it moves.

The Source: This story was based on data from the US Customs and Border Patrol.