The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) made changes to two Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas on Dec. 6. They reduced the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine area in Cameron County and the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine area in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. However, on Dec. 20, they expanded the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine area.
Photo by Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine, Bugwood.org
The reduction of the Brownsville quarantine area includes the release of an 8-square-mile portion in Cameron County after three generations elapsed since the date of the last Mexfly detection in that portion of the quarantine area. This reduction resulted in an amended quarantine area of 64 square miles that includes 27 acres of commercial citrus. APHIS and TDA then expanded the Brownsville quarantine area by 19 square miles to 84 square miles in response to a confirmed detection on Dec. 12 of a wild mated female Mexfly in a trap on a residential property. The expansion increased the area of commercial citrus to 29 acres.
APHIS and TDA established the Brownsville quarantine area on Aug. 2 in response to the confirmed detection on July 26 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruit on two residential properties.
The reduction of the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine area includes the release of a 57-square-mile portion in Hildago and Willacy Counties after three generations elapsed since the date of the last wild Mexfly detection in that portion of the quarantine area. The amended quarantine area is 264 square miles and includes 1,327 acres of commercial citrus.
APHIS and TDA established the Sebastian quarantine on March 21, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly. They established the Harlingen quarantine on March 26, following the detections of six wild mated female Mexflies. These two quarantine areas were consolidated on Sept. 27.
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 APHIS exotic fruit flies website contains descriptions and maps of the amended quarantine areas, as well as all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas.
Source: USDA APHIS
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