Alert in Valparaíso: Dangerous "fuzzy twig borer" detected and SAG activates protocols

The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) activated its emergency protocols after detecting the presence of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) on the vessel BBC Elizabeth, coming from South Korea, during a Border Control inspection at the port of San Antonio. Inspectors found egg masses on the ship, which led the authority to immediately apply a phytosanitary treatment, with the aim of eliminating the biological material and mitigating the risk of introducing this pest into the country. The gypsy moth is considered one of the most destructive defoliating pests in the world, capable of feeding on more than 500 species of trees and shrubs, including oaks, willows, lindens, poplars, and fruit trees such as apple trees. In Chile, it also poses a risk to native species of Nothofagaceae, such as coigüe, lenga, hualle, and raulí, as well as to cultivated forest species. The entry of this species by sea is especially risky, as females are attracted to port lights and can lay eggs on ...