Ag specialists intercept Khapra beetle larvae

Jun 09, 2020

These insects are dangerous to stored grain and other products

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists recently discovered destructive insect larvae.

On May 12, the specialists at the International Falls port in Minnesota found larvae specimen inside a package from China labelled as welding wire. Nine days later an entomologist with the United States Department of Agriculture identified the larvae as those of the Khapra beetle.

Native to India, the beetle, who’s name is derived from the Hindi word “khapra”, which means destroyer, is considered one of the world’s most destructive insects of stored grain and seeds.

The beetle is resistant to multiple insecticides and fumigants. It feeds on wheat, barley, rye, corn and other products. An infestation of the beetles, which can grow up to 5millimeters (0.2 inches) long, can cause between 30 and 70 per cent product damage.

The insects can also hide in tiny cracks and go long periods of time without food or moisture.

In addition, the hairs and cast skins can be an allergen or pose respiratory dangers for young children.

“The Khapra beetle is a dangerous pest to American agriculture,” CBP Area Port Director Jason Schmelz said in a June 2 statement. “This discovery is an excellent example of how dedicated our agriculture specialists are in protecting our nation’s crops and natural resources.”

Prior to the Minnesota discovery, agriculture specialists in New Jersey found the beetles in rice shipments originating from India in 2019.

The beetles were first found in California in 1953. Governments spent 13 years and US$15 million (US$144 million in today’s dollars) to eradicate the insect.

Farms.com has reached out to entomologists for comment.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.