WILMINGTON, Del. — A new, plant-eating scarab beetle was found in a shipment of bananas at the Port of Wilmington, in Delaware, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed.

An entomologist for the USDA identified the pest, which was found on July 16, as Gymnetini (Scarabaeidae), which can pose a threat to agriculture because they feed on a wide variety of crops. Infestation can lead to a decrease in productivity and quality of crops.

"CBP agriculture specialists take their job of detecting foreign invasive plants and plant pests very seriously," Richard Sheckells, port director for the Port of Wilmington, said in a release. "This is another example of our agriculture specialist performing a thorough inspection and finding a new potential threat to the U.S. agriculture industry."

Found in a 1,920-case shipment of bananas from Columbia, the beetle was forwarded to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Plant Protection and Quarantine entomologist for identification.

The shipment of bananas was put in quarantine and an Emergency Action notification was issued requiring fumigation, re-exportation or destruction. The importer, who was not identified, chose fumigation, which was completed on July 21.

The Port of Wilmington is located directly across the Delaware River from Salem County. It handles approximately 400 vessels each year and is the number one port for fresh fruit, bananas and juice concentrate in North America.

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Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.