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Federal agents near New Orleans instructed a cargo ship to immediately leave the country following an inspection that discovered wood infested with an Asian beetle variant that has been destroying trees in the US for nearly three decades.

The beetle was reportedly discovered on July 17 within the wood on board the cargo ship, Pan Jasmine. It was found soon after the 590-foot-long Pan Jasmine anchored in the Mississippi River almost a mile downriver from the New Orleans, the US.

Representation Image – Credits: ABS – Vimeo

The wood had fresh sawdust and burrowing holes. The US Department of Agriculture entomologists could identify five pests in the wood. The authorities have said that two of these – a type of ant and the beetle – have long been identified as a threat to the US crops.

The ship had been instructed to leave the US waters. It left for Freeport, Bahamas, on July 21 for wood disposal.

The beetle belongs to the Cerambycidae family of long-horned beetles. This variant bores into woods and feeds on a variety of trees in the US and ultimately kills them. The ant, a member of the Myrmicinae family, builds permanent colonies. It has the potential to damage crops.

Reference: foxbusiness.com

Cargo Ship Asked To Leave US Waters After Asian Insects Discovered Onboard appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

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