Removal of Malaysian Fruit Fly Quarantine in Westchester Area of Los Angeles County, CA

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2016-53
August 10, 2016

Subject: Removal of the Malaysian Fruit Fly (Bactrocera latifrons) Quarantine in the Westchester Area of Los Angeles County, California

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective August 1, 2016, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) removed the quarantine area for the Malaysian fruit fly in Westchester, Los Angeles County, California.

On January 11, 2016, APHIS implemented the Malaysian fruit fly quarantine in the city of Westchester, Los Angeles County, California. The quarantine restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area to prevent the spread of the Malaysian fruit fly to non-infested areas of the United States. Since that time, APHIS has worked with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agriculture Commissioner’s office to eradicate the transient Malaysian fruit fly population. Control actions included high density trapping, fruit removal, regulatory quarantine measures, and foliar bait sprays near the detection sites.

Eradication concluded after three lifecycles passed without finding additional Malaysian fruit flies in this area. This following designated website contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fruit_flies/index.shtml

For additional information on the removal of the Malaysian fruit fly quarantine area, please call National Policy Manager John Stewart at 919-855-7426.

Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine