Abstract
Cargo aircraft arriving at Miami International Airport from foreign origins were randomly selected and inspected from September 1998 to August 1999 for the presence of live hitchhiking insects. An overall infestation (= approach) rate of 10.4% was found, with the rate for aircraft arriving from Central American countries noticeably greater at about 23%. Quarantine-significant taxa from 33 families in five orders were detected, with members of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera most frequently encountered. More than 40% of infested aircraft contained multiple insect taxa. No correlation was established between the presence of hitchhiking insects and the time of day (night vs. day) during which cargo was loaded at points of origin or the nature of cargo on board. Quarantine-significant organisms arrived in cargo aircraft during all months of the year. Significant seasonality (dry season vs. wet) was observed for pests on flights arriving from Central America, with separate peaks noted in May and October.
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