APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in the Long Beach Area of Los Angeles County, California

 

                   

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2019-17

July 25, 2019

 

Subject:          APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in the

                      Long Beach Area of Los Angeles County, California

 

To:                  State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective July 25, 2019 the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens, Mexfly) quarantine in the Long Beach area of Los Angeles County, California.

 

On October 25, 2018 APHIS and CDFA established a Mexfly quarantine in a regulated area of Long Beach, California, restricting interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States. This action was necessary after CDFA staff trapped and confirmed a mated female Mexfly on October 25 in the Long Beach area of California. A second mated female Mexfly was confirmed October 26 in close proximity to the first. Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with the CDFA to eradicate the transient Mexfly population through various control actions per program protocols. APHIS removed the quarantine area after three Mexfly life-cycles elapsed with negative detections in this area.

 

The removal of this quarantine area 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 the Mexfly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109.

 

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine