Removal of Mexfly Quarantine Areas Rangerville Cameron County & McAllen Mission La Villa Hidalgo County TX

 

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2015-60

December 10, 2015

 

Subject: Removal of Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Rangerville Cameron County and McAllen, Mission and La Villa, Hidalgo, County, Texas

 

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Earlier this year in Texas, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly quarantine areas in Rangerville, Cameron County (on August 6) and McAllen, Mission, and La Villa in Hidalgo County (on October 3).

 

On March 31, APHIS and the TDA established a Mexican fruit fly (mexfly) regulated area in the McAllen area of Hidalgo County, Texas. Subsequent mexfly detections in the Mission and La Villa areas of Hidalgo County resulted in the expansion of the regulated area. Additionally, a mated female mexfly was detected and then confirmed on April 3, 2105 in the Rangerville area of Cameron County. To prevent the spread of mexfly to noninfested areas of the United States, APHIS and the TDA established mexfly quarantines in Hidalgo and Cameron County to restrict the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas. Since that time, APHIS has cooperated with the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Citrus Industry to eradicate the transient mexfly populations through various control actions per program protocols. Accordingly, APHIS has removed the quarantine from those areas after those areas concluded the necessary three lifecycles.

 

This removal of the quarantine areas is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine

 

For additional information on APHIS fruit fly programs you may call Fruit Fly Policy Manager John Stewart at 919-855-7426.

 

/s/

 

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine