via UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Jeannette Warnert (@jwarnert):

Agricultural inspectors in Marin County captured an adult female glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) in a shipment of plants at a local nursery. GWSS is an insect that is able to spread a deadly plant disease pathogen – Pierce’s Disease – that affects grapes, almonds and other plants.

Richard Halstead reports for the Marin Independent Journal, quoting Marin County Agricultural Commissioner Stacy Carlsen:

 

Carlsen said a sharpshooter infestation in Marin County would pose a significant threat to landscape plants, gardens and the broader environment. He said an adult glassy-winged sharpshooter can consume 200 to 300 times its body weight in water daily, the equivalent of a 150-pound man drinking 4,300 gallons of water each day.

A heavily infested tree could lose 10 to 15 gallons of fluid per day, requiring additional irrigation to keep it alive. Carlsen said that is especially concerning given the state’s ongoing drought.