Invasive species are species that are native to foreign environments which may have important effects on a specific area's economy, ecosystem and infrastructure. These species can be introduced by natural causes or human intervention. There are many invasive species that exist around the world. One that is abundant around Puerto Rico is the lionfish. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) perform biosecurity inspections for Puerto Rico.[1]
Arthropods
The overwhelming majority of arthropods intercepted by border pest inspections came from elsewhere in the Caribbean.[1] Despite a large amount of cargo traffic in both directions, Florida sends more adventive arthropods to PR than the other way around, probably due to laxer biosecurity on the PR side.[1]
Insects
- Africanized bee: Known to have attacked researchers and certain endangered bird species. First seen on the island in 1994, the honeybee has also inhabited a majority of tree cavities.[7] It has evolved to become a lesser threat to the area over time, although it is still present in the area.[7]
- Aedes aegypti: Also known as the yellow fever mosquito, aides aegypti originated in Africa and is a danger to humans. The mosquito is capable of spreading diseases such as the Zika virus and dengue fever.[7] A distinctive characteristic of the species is its white marks on its leg, and can transported from low to high elevations.[7]
- Hypogeococcus sp.: This invasive mealybug, better known as the Harrisia cactus mealybug, has been assigned its classification for their influence on plant species in Puerto Rican dry forests.[15] Native cacti infected by the bug were observed to have produced fewer fruits and flowers than their healthy counterparts.[15] A higher mortality rate was also seen in certain cactus species, due to Harrisia cactus mealybug.[15]
95% of arthropod border interceptions are insects.[1]
Acari
Only 4% of arthropod border interceptions are acari.[1]