In 1888, USDA sent an entomologist to Australia to collect vedalia beetles for California’s cottony cushion scale; within a year, the pest had sharply declined

The cottony cushion scale insect threatened California's citrus growers with devastation. The USDA took action by sending a scientist to Australia in search of a natural enemy. They found the ladybird beetle, Rodolia cardinalis, which was then introduced to California. This predator quickly reduced the pest population, rescuing the citrus industry in just months and marking a significant advancement in sustainable pest management practices.