APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Area in Lasara, Willacy County, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2020-15

July 29, 2020

 

 

 

Subject:           APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Area in Lasara, Willacy County, Texas

 

To:                   State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

 

Effective July 22, 2020, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area in Lasara, Willacy County, Texas.

 

On January 22, 2020, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Lasara, Willacy County, Texas, and restricted 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 APHIS confirmed six adult Mexflies from a residential sour orange tree on January 21, 2020.  Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with TDA 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 no additional detections in this area. 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 Medfly 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