Baltimore CBP Intercepts Destructive Asian Gypsy Moth Egg Masses on Vehicle Carrier Ship

BALTIMORE – A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratory confirmed last Tuesday that four egg masses U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists discovered on a vehicle transport ship July 25 in Baltimore were the highly destructive Asian Gypsy Moth.

During a routine inspection of the M/V Gaia Leader, CBP agriculture specialists encountered two egg masses and a dead adult moth near the gangway and two additional egg masses near the aft mooring station on the vehicle carrier. The vessel had made a port call in June to Japan, a high-risk AGM area.

CBP agriculture specialists removed the egg masses and treated the area. Agriculture specialists submitted the specimens to the USDA pest identifier who confirmed the egg masses as Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM).

According to the USDA, AGM poses a significant threat to our nation’s forests and urban landscapes as it is known to be extremely mobile – females can travel up to 25 miles per day – can lay egg masses that could yield hundreds of hungry caterpillars, and is itself a voracious eater that attacks more than 500 species of trees and plants.

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