APHIS Expands Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine in California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2025-50 
December 1, 2025

Subject: APHIS Expands Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine in California 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On November 13, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Santa Clara Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in California. This quarantine includes portions of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties; this action only expands the quarantine in Santa Clara County. 

On November 13, APHIS and CDFA expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine in response to the October 24 confirmed detections of one wild mated female Medfly from a trap in a persimmon tree and one wild unmated female Medfly in a fig tree and the November 5 detection of one wild mated female Medfly from a trap in a fig tree. All detections were on residential properties in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County. This action expanded the quarantine by 19 square miles and includes 14.9 acres of additional commercial agriculture. APHIS also corrected the amount of commercial agriculture within the quarantine, reducing the previously reported commercial agriculture acreage by 3.14 acres. The amended quarantine encompasses 224 square miles with 58.76 acres of commercial agriculture, including grape, olive, orange, pepper, stone fruit, and tomato. 

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly 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 CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties to respond to these detections 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. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register. 

For additional information you may contact: 

Catherine Marzolf 
National Policy Manager 
386-666-9932 
catherine.a.marzolf@usda.gov

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine