Federal and state agriculture officials have reduced, established and expanded several Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the quarantine actions.
EDINBURG
On Jan. 8, the two agencies reduced the Edinburg Mexfly quarantine in Hidalgo County. The reduction includes the release of 36 square miles, including 441 acres of commercial citrus, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last wild Mexfly detection in that portion. The amended quarantine area is 71 square miles, including 5,238 acres of commercial citrus.
BROWNSVILLE
On Jan. 10, the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County was reduced. The reduction includes the release of 38 square miles, including 27 acres of commercial citrus, after three generations elapsed since the date of the last wild Mexfly detection in that portion. The amended quarantine area is 46 square miles, including 3 acres of commercial citrus.
BAYVIEW
On Jan. 13, a Mexfly quarantine was established in Bayview, Cameron County. APHIS and TDA established this quarantine in response to the confirmed detections on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 of a wild mated female Mexfly in a trap and Mexfly larvae in sweet orange fruit in a commercial grove. The quarantine area is 72 square miles, including 245 acres of commercial citrus.
DONNA
On Jan. 17, the Donna Mexfly quarantine in Hidalgo County was expanded by 50 square miles to 167 square miles. The expansion was in response to the confirmed detections on Jan. 15 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruit on residential properties in the city of Donna, and the confirmed detections on Jan. 13 and Jan. 16 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap on a tangerine tree and Mexfly larvae in tangerine fruits on a residential property in the city of San Carlos. The quarantine area includes 1,861 acres of commercial citrus.
HARLINGEN-SEBASTIAN
On Jan. 17, the agencies reduced the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. Changes to this quarantine include expansion in one portion in response to the confirmed detection on Jan. 14 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap in a sour orange tree on a residential property in Harlingen. Other portions were released from quarantine after three generations elapsed since the date of the last wild Mexfly detections. Overall, APHIS and TDA reduced the quarantine by 8 square miles to 257 square miles. The amended quarantine area includes 1,318 acres of commercial citrus.
The APHIS exotic fruit fly website contains descriptions and maps of the amended quarantine areas, as well as all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas.
Source: APHIS
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