APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and Expands the Quarantine Area in Palmview, Hidalgo County, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2022-16
April 26, 2022

 Subject:          APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and Expands the Quarantine Area in Palmview, Hidalgo County, Texas

To:                   State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On April 8, 2022, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens or Mexfly) quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas.

APHIS and TDA established the Weslaco quarantine following the confirmed detection of a mature mated female Mexfly from a trap in a sweet orange tree in a citrus grove. The Weslaco quarantine encompasses 71 square miles with 1,104 acres of commercial citrus.

On March 31, APHIS and TDA expanded the Palmview, Hidalgo County, Texas, quarantine area following the confirmed detection of five adult Mexflies from traps in various citrus trees in residential areas and citrus groves. The Palmview quarantine area expanded from 162.68 sq. mi. to 265.93 sq. mi.; the affected commercial citrus acreage increased from 2,809.3 acres to 4,047 acres.

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. These actions are 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 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