The United States Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) banned the entry of a shipment of pumpkins from Costa Rica due to the presence of an insect pest. The discovery was made on October 4th in Wilmington, Delaware; however, it wasn’t officially communicated by the institution until the 24th.
As explained by the CBP, operations of this type intensify in the face of Halloween celebrations, on October 31st.
CBP agriculture specialists discovered seven larvae through the wooden packing material that protects pumpkins. They sent the samples to the entomologist of the US Department of Agriculture and he identified them as belonging to the subfamily Lepturinae, or long-horned flower beetles.
These adult beetles are considered pollinators, but while they are in the larval stage they drill under the bark of a tree and can damage healthy trees,”
said the official report.
The importer chose to re-export the pumpkins and the wooden packing material, instead of destroying the shipment.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), pumpkin plants are annual, with strong and angular stems, which can reach up to 10 meters, with roots in the nodes that help fix the plant to the ground. The ayotes reach maturity between 90 and 120 days after planting.