Texas faces dual invasive insect threats to cattle and pasture lands

A new pasture mealybug is spreading rapidly across Texas, now confirmed in 70 counties and threatening hayfields and pastures that support the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry. Entomologists say the pest feeds on a wide range of warm‑season grasses, causing pasture dieback and potentially turning fields brown or dead. No labeled pesticide is yet approved; early‑detection, grazing or hay harvest to reduce dense canopy, and limiting insect movement on equipment are the main recommendations. Economic analyses estimate that over 20 million acres of rangeland are already at risk, with up to 35 million acres potentially threatened.

At the same time, the New World screwworm fly has re‑emerged in the United States, with more than 30 confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico, including two infestations in dogs. The larvae can infest any mammal, posing a danger to livestock worth $113 billion and to pets, especially those with open wounds. Veterinarians urge owners to inspect animals for wounds, use prescription flea‑and‑tick medications that kill larvae, and seek prompt treatment. The USDA is reviving a sterile‑male fly program, investing $21 million to convert a Mexican facility and planning a $750 million factory in Texas to mass‑produce sterile screwworm flies.