With an ever expanding global economy and an unprecented volume of trade taking place with all corners of the earth, and especially Asia, the United States and the North American continent are constantly being invaded by exotic pest species. As a result of quarantine and inspection measures at our major ports of entry, many potentially dangerous pests are effectively excluded. However, these measures are not always failsafe and a number of accidental introductions of exotc species do occur annually. Those pests that colonize rapidly and spread unimpeded pose a serious threat to North American agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Early and rapid detection of exotic species in the landscape is imperative in order to establish eradication or management protocols. To this end, my detection and survey initiatives support federal and state programs safeguarding North American plant resources from bioinvasioons.