Philadelphia customs agents intercept rare beetle

First it was the bed bug, now it’s the Xylotrechus chinensis beetle.

Well, not quite. Philadelphia could be spared an infestation of the wood borer beetle thanks to Customs and Border Protection agents. It was confirmed Friday that a longhorn beetle discovered on a shipment from China is the first of its species to come to America.

According to CBP agriculture specialists, the beetles are “destructive wood boring insect pests that impact a wide range of tree species, and pose a serious threat to national forests, the timber industry and to the U.S. economy.”

The insect was discovered during an operation to ensure compliance with international wood packaging material regulations and CBP agents ordered the contaminated container be sent back.