APHIS Modifies the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Cameron County and Establishes a New Quarantine in Hidalgo County, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2022-08

February 10, 2022

 

Subject:           APHIS Modifies the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Cameron County and Establishes a New Quarantine in Hidalgo County, Texas

To:                   State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Between January 6 and February 1, 2022, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded two areas under quarantine in Cameron County, removed the Bayview area quarantine in Cameron County, and added a new quarantine area in Palmview in Hidalgo County, Texas.

On January 6, APHIS and TDA expanded the Harlingen, Cameron County quarantine following the confirmed detections of Mexfly larvae in sour orange at a residential site. The Harlingen quarantine increased from 126 sq. mi to 150 sq. mi. and still encompasses 1,618.6 acres of commercial citrus; the expansion did not add commercial citrus acreage.

On January 13, APHIS and TDA added a new quarantine area in the vicinity of Palmview, Hidalgo County, following the confirmed detection of a mated, mature, female Mexfly from a trap located in a sweet orange tree in a residential area. The Palmview quarantine encompasses 62.61 sq. mi. with 1,268 acres of commercial citrus.

On January 27, APHIS and TDA expanded the Brownsville, Cameron County quarantine following the confirmed detections of three Mexfly larvae sites in dooryard citrus at residential sites. The Brownsville quarantine increased from 36.27 sq. mi to 76.59 sq. mi.; the affected commercial citrus acreage increased from 3.4 acres to 241 acres.

On February 1, APHIS and TDA removed the Mexfly quarantine area in Bayview, Cameron County, after three Mexfly life cycles elapsed with no additional detections in this area. APHIS and TDA established this quarantine on November 18, 2021, due to a reduction in the Brownsville quarantine, which resulted in the designation of two smaller quarantine areas – Brownsville and Bayview. APHIS worked cooperatively with TDA to eradicate the transient Mexfly population through various control actions per program protocols.

APHIS and TDA established the original Cameron County quarantine following the confirmed detections of 80 adult Mexflies and 14 Mexfly larval sites in citrus from various residential areas and two commercial groves between January 14 and February 3, 2020. APHIS works cooperatively with TDA to eradicate transient Mexfly populations through various control actions per program protocols and in applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from these areas.

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 Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at (301) 851-2109 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov.

 

/s/

Mark L Davidson, DVM, MS
Acting Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine