APHIS Establishes and Revises Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2024-37
September 13, 2024

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

To: State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On August 15, 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 Donna, Hidalgo County, Texas. On August 29, APHIS and TDA revised the Harlingen Mexfly quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties. On August 30, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Edinburg, Hidalgo County; and reduced the Sebastian Mexfly quarantine in Hidalgo and Willacy Counties.

Establishment of the Donna quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on August 10 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruits in a commercial grove. The quarantine area encompasses approximately 71 square miles and contains approximately 908 acres of commercial citrus.

The Harlingen quarantine was expanded in one area in response to the confirmed detection on July 16 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap in a grapefruit tree in Le Feria, Cameron County. The quarantine was reduced in other areas, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection in those areas, based on a degree-day model. As a result of these changes, the quarantine area was reduced by 117 square miles to 225 square miles of Cameron and Hidalgo Counties. There are 1,199 acres of commercial citrus in the remaining quarantine area. APHIS and TDA established the original quarantine on March 26, following the detections of six wild mated female Mexflies from March 12-20, and expanded it on May 20 and June 27, following the detections of additional flies and Mexfly larvae.

Establishment of the Edinburg quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on August 14 of Mexfly larvae in sour orange fruits on a residential property. The quarantine area encompasses approximately 71 square miles and contains approximately 2,533 acres of commercial citrus.

The Sebastian quarantine was reduced by 73 square miles to 71 square miles, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection in a portion of the quarantine area, based on a degree-day model. There are five acres of commercial citrus in the remaining quarantine area. APHIS and TDA established the quarantine on March 21, 2024, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly on March 13, expanded the quarantine on April 3, May 20, and August 2, following the detections of additional flies and Mexfly larvae, and released a portion of the quarantine on August 2, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection in that portion.

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

For additional information on the Mexfly quarantine 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/
Samantha J. Simon
Acting Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine