APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Cameron County, Texas

 

 

 

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2020-05

February 27, 2020

 

 

 Subject:  APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Cameron County, Texas

 

 To:             State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective February 3, 2020, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens or Mexfly) quarantine, which includes much of Cameron County, Texas. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from this area.

 

From January 14 to February 3, APHIS confirmed 80 adult Mexflies and 14 Mexfly larval site detections from a variety of residential citrus and two commercial groves in Cameron County, Texas. Subsequently, February 4 to February 11, APHIS confirmed an additional 17 Mexfly adults and 16 larval detections. APHIS, in conjunction with the TDA, is responding to these confirmed detections with the establishment of a quarantine area, which encompasses approximately 773.5 square miles of Cameron County. From initial detections in the Harlingen and Brownsville area, the affected area has expanded to include the La Feria, Los Fresnos, Rio Hondo, San Benito, and Santa Rosa areas of Cameron County. There are 3,952.4 acres of commercial citrus within the quarantine area. APHIS is working with TDA to respond to these detections following program survey and treatment protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

 

The following website 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 the Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at 301-851-2109.

 

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine