A cargo ship in U.S. waters was ordered to leave because of a tree-destroying Asian beetle.
On July 17, New Orleans federal agents commanded the crew of a cargo ship to leave the U.S. for a peculiar reason. After an inspection was conducted, it was discovered that there was wood infested with a dangerous type of Asian beetle. As per Fox Business, this particular insect has been destroying American trees for about 25 years.
The cargo ship in question was the 590-foot-long Pan Jasmine, NOLA.com reports. The mischievous creature was found just after the vessel anchored in the Mississippi River near New Orleans.
After the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the case, they identified five pests in the wood, which was found to have burrowing holes and fresh sawdust. As reported by authorities, two of them were the Asian beetle and a type of ant, which are considered serious risks to U.S. crops.
Pan Jasmine left U.S. waters on July 21 and headed to Freeport, Bahamas, for wood disposal services.
The Asian beetle found on the ship is a member of the Cerambycidae family of long-horned beetles. It feeds on a wide variety of trees, eventually killing them. As for the ant, it is a member of the Myrmicinae family, and it creates permanent colonies that can compete with native species and damage crops.