OTAY MESA, Calif. (KGTV) – An insect never before seen in the U.S. was discovered during a border inspection in Otay Mesa.
Customs and Border Protection officials said the pest, since identified as Rhabdotalebra signata, was found on July 19 as CBP agriculture specialists inspected a shipment containing pocket leaves at an Otay Mesa cargo facility.
After the insect was discovered, it was given to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for a more thorough examination.
The driver and the shipment were returned to Mexico.
CBP officials stated, “This species has not been recorded in the USDA pest identification database, qualifying this discovery as a first across all ports in the nation. The impressive find demonstrates CBP’s efforts to prevent invasive species from entering the United States.”
