APHIS Establishes, Amends, and Removes Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2024-33
 August 21, 2024

Subject: APHIS Establishes, Amends, and Removes Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Texas 

To: State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials 

On August 2, 2024, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas; amended the Sebastian Mexfly quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties; and removed the Mexfly quarantine in Bayview, Cameron County. On August 15, APHIS and TDA removed the Mexfly quarantine in Zapata, Zapata County. 

Establishment of the Brownsville quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on July 26 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruits on two residential properties. The quarantine area encompasses approximately 72 square miles and contains approximately 44 acres of commercial citrus. 

The expansion of the Sebastian quarantine in one area is in response to the confirmed detection on July 22 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruits on a residential property in Lyford, Willacy County. The quarantine was reduced in another area, encompassing parts of Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection in that area, based on a degree-day model. As a result of these changes, APHIS is reducing the quarantined area by 30 square miles to 144 square miles in Hidalgo and Willacy Counties. There are 1,202 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantined area. APHIS and TDA established the quarantine on March 21, 2024, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly on March 13, and expanded the quarantine on April 3 and May 20, following the detections of additional flies.

Removal of the Bayview quarantine releases 71 square miles, including 298 acres of commercial citrus. APHIS and TDA established the quarantine on April 16, 2024, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly on April 4. Release from quarantine occurred after three generations elapsed since this detection, based on a degree-day model. 

Removal of the Zapata quarantine releases 39 square miles. There was no commercial agriculture in the quarantined area. APHIS and TDA established the quarantine on March 11, 2024, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly on March 7. Subsequent larval detections extended the release date but did not expand the quarantine. Release from quarantine occurred after three generations elapsed since the last detection, based on a degree-day model. 

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with TDA to eradicate transient Mexfly populations following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions. 

The changes to these quarantined areas are reflected on the APHIS exotic fruit flies website, which contains a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantined areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register. 

For additional information on the Mexfly quarantined areas, please contact: 

Richard Johnson 
National Policy Manager 
301-851-2109 
richard.n.johnson@usda.gov 

Avraham Eitam 
Assistant National Policy Manager 
614-205-4565
avraham.eitam@usda.gov

/s/

Dr. Mark L Davidson 
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine