From Texas A&M AgriLife Today:
Yet again, another insect pest has moved into South Texas with the potential to damage crops and spread to other parts of the nation, according to experts at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.
“This one is called the bagrada bug, a stink bug that will affect primarily our winter vegetable crops,” said Dr. Raul Villanueva, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist in Weslaco. “It comes to us from Mexico, but unlike many other invasive species, it was first reported in California then El Paso, moved into Mexico, then to the Rio Grande Valley.”
A native of Africa, the bagrada bug was first detected on the U.S. West Coast in 2008.
“South Texas is a gateway for invasive species that can spread throughout the country,” Villanueva said. “We often serve as a first responder, alerting growers in other areas of the nation of what may be coming.”
Growers outside South Texas would be wise to watch for this one, he said.
“The question is, how far will it spread from here?” Villanueva said. “That it was able to make its way out of El Paso, where we thought it was geographically isolated, tells us that it could quickly make its way to the Gulf Coast states and the Eastern U.S.”
To read the full article, visit the Texas A&M AgriLife Today website.
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