USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) quarantine in Peñitas, Hidalgo County, Texas, on Dec. 12.
On Dec.16, APHIS and TDA expanded the La Feria Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County, Texas.
APHIS and TDA established the Peñitas quarantine in response to a confirmed detection on Dec. 4 of one Mexfly larva in a sour orange collected on a residential property in Peñitas. The quarantine encompasses approximately 53.2 square miles with 223.3 acres of commercial citrus.
APHIS and TDA expanded the La Feria quarantine following the confirmed detection on Dec. 12 of one Mexfly larva in a grapefruit collected in a commercial grove in La Feria. This action expanded the quarantine by 46.71 square miles and includes 139.35 acres of additional commercial citrus. The amended quarantine encompasses approximately 124.2 square miles with 970.6 acres of commercial citrus.
APHIS says it applies safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the U.S., as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS says it is working with TDA to eradicate these transient Mexfly populations following program guidelines for survey, treatment and regulatory actions.
The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas.
