American Scientist

To the Editors:

The Spotlight report "New Disease Emerges as Threat to Salamanders" by Katie L. Burke (January–February) paints a dismal picture for the future of North American salamanders, which appear imminently threatened by a newly identified, potentially deadly European fungus that could easily arrive in the United States on imported amphibian pets. Her concerns only reflect the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

In a 2012 paper in Zootaxa , my colleagues and I described a somewhat analogous situation in the US cricket pet food industry in which some 50 million crickets a week are shipped. Through a combination of lack of concern, funding, and taxonomic expertise, this industry has gone largely unregulated despite existing federal guidelines. In fact, in 2012, a Gryllus field cricket that was being widely promoted by cricket farms in the United States (and Europe) to replace their virus-devastated cultures of the European house cricket, turned out to be an undescribed species with a still unknown country of origin. This commercial activity potentially places both agriculture and native cricket faunas at risk from introduction, and subsequent escape, of a non-native organism but also its pathogens and parasites.

To further complicate matters, philosophical and regulatory conflicts exist between US and state agencies. For example, Section 6305 of the US Food and Agriculture Code prohibits interstate import or transport of live insects without permits, except in certain situations. One of these federal exemptions is for beneficial or useful insects. Without explanation, California has placed the “common black field cricket— Gryllus sp . ” under this exemption umbrella despite any demonstrated beneficial qualities. In fact, because there is no specific US species of Gryllus to which this common name applies, arguably any black Gryllus field cricket can be freely imported into and shipped within California, all without regulatory review. California further gives 23 orders of arthropods (of which 11 are insects) this carte blanche pass for movement.

David B. Weissman, PhD
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, CA

Associate Editor Dr. Burke responds:

In speaking with a variety of stakeholders at governmental and nongovernmental agencies, I have observed strong agreement that better regulation of animal trade is recommended in light of invasive disease. Even where there is consensus, mobilizing policy change through entrenched bureaucracy has been difficult.