APHIS Expands Two Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantines in Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2024-19
June 3, 2024

Subject: APHIS Expands Two Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantines in Texas

To: State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On May 20, 2024, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas, designated the Harlingen Quarantine and the Sebastian Quarantine, which include areas of Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties in Texas.

The expansion of the Harlingen Quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on April 18 and May 4 of Mexfly larvae in grapefruits in commercial groves in La Feria and the confirmed detection on April 21 of a wild mated Mexfly from a trap in an orange tree in a residential area in Harlingen. As a result of these detections, the quarantine increased by 35 square miles to 337 square miles. APHIS and TDA established the original quarantine on March 26, as described in DA-2024-11. There are 1,421 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.

The expansion of the Sebastian Quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on May 7 and May 9 of two wild mated female Mexflies from traps in trees in residential and rural locations in the Lasara area. As a result of these detections, the quarantine increased by 83 square miles to 174 square miles. APHIS and TDA established the original quarantine on March 21, as described in DA-2024-09, and expanded th quarantine on April 3, as described in DA-2024-11. There are 1,275 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.

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 expansion of these quarantine areas is 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 these changes 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/

Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine