This insect is considered one of the world’s most destructive grain pests
CBP ag specialists intercepted remains of a pest that’s capable of spoiling large quantities of stored grain.
Customs and Border Protection revealed in a Jan. 14 press release that ag specialists at Detroit Metropolitan Airport last April discovered the remains of a khapra beetle inside an undeclared bag of seeds from a traveler returning from Lebanon.
The khapra beetle, which gets its name from the Hindi word “khapra” meaning destroyer, is regarded as one of the world’s most destructive grain pests.
It feeds on multiple crops including corn, wheat, barley, and rye.
“Its feeding damage often spoils 30 percent of the product; up to 70 percent damage has been reported,” a USDA fact sheet says.
The insect’s hairs and cast skins can be an allergen and cause respiratory dangers for kids. And the pest has developed resistance to multiple insecticides and fumigants.
“This particularly destructive insect is known to be extremely difficult to detect, which is why even intercepting a cast skin is a big deal,” Area Port Director Fadia Pastilong said in the press release.
The kharpa beetle is the only insect CBP acts against even if it is dead.
The U.S. has experienced a serious khapra beetle infestation.
The pest was discovered in stored barley in California in December 1953.
By 1954 the pest spread to Arizona and New Mexico.
The U.S. government spent 13 years and about $15 million (upwards of $200 million in 2026) to eradicate the infestation.
In grain isn’t the only place the khapra beetle can show up.
In September 2025, Australian inspectors found larvae in imported diapers from Spain.
The Australian government estimates this beetle could cost the country’s grain industry up to US$15 billion over 20 years, and has named it the number one priority pest for grains.