Federal and state agriculture agencies on March 22 established a new Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Zapata County, Texas, and expanded the Brownsville and Harlingen quarantine areas in Cameron County. On March 30, the agencies expanded the Palmview quarantine area in Hidalgo County. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).
APHIS and TDA established the Zapata quarantine following the confirmed detection of a mature mated female Mexfly from a trap in a grapefruit tree in a residential area. The Zapata quarantine area encompasses 57.5 square miles with no commercial citrus.
The agencies expanded the Brownsville quarantine area following the confirmed detection of two larval sites in residential citrus. The Brownsville quarantine area expanded from 126.21 square miles to 132.16 square miles but did not add commercial citrus acreage.
APHIS and TDA expanded the Harlingen quarantine area following the confirmed detections of three larval sites in residential citrus. The Harlingen quarantine area expanded from 170.35 square miles to 190.44 square miles. The expansion did not add commercial citrus acreage.
The agencies expanded the Palmview quarantine area following the confirmed detection of five adult Mexflies from traps in various citrus trees in residential areas. The Palmview quarantine area expanded from 62.61 square miles to 162.68 square miles. The affected commercial citrus acreage increased from 1,155.7 acres to 2,809.3 acres.
APHIS and TDA established the original Cameron County quarantine following the confirmed detections of 80 adult Mexflies and 14 Mexfly larval sites in citrus from various residential areas and two commercial groves between Jan. 14 and Feb. 3, 2020.
Find a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas here.
Additional information on the Mexfly quarantine area may be obtained from Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
