Marin County agricultural officials are sounding the alarm after discovering a very destructive insect.
Inspectors found an adult "glassy-winged sharpshooter" last month while examining plants arriving from Ventura County. Agricultural officials said one adult glassy-winged sharpshooter can drain 200 to 300 times its body weight in water from fruits every day -- the equivalent of a 150 pound adult drinking about 4,300 gallons of water per day.
In response, inspectors are placing sticky traps across the county.
Eric Richardson of the Marin County Agriculture Department said glassy-winged sharpshooters can also spread diseases that could cost millions of dollars to the citrus, wine and plant industries.
"They are not picky," Richardson said.
All plants in the shipment from Ventura County were returned to the shipper.
