Photo courtesy of Insects Unlocked from USA, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) recently expanded two Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas. This includes the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, and the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County.
HARLINGEN-SEBASTIAN QUARANTINE
The Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine has been increased by 68 square miles to 403 square miles. The expansion followed detections on Feb. 10 of two wild mated female Mexflies from traps on citrus trees on two residential properties in Harlingen, and on Feb. 14 and Feb. 20 of Mexfly larvae in sour orange fruit on two residential properties in Los Indios. There are 1,480 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.
The Sebastian quarantine was established on March 21, 2024, and the Harlingen quarantine on March 26, 2024.
BROWNSVILLE QUARANTINE
APHIS and TDA expanded the Brownsville quarantine by 64 square miles to 110 square miles. The expansion followed detections on Feb. 24 of wild mated female Mexflies from traps on guava and olive trees on three residential properties, and between March 1 and March 9 of Mexfly larvae in orange fruit on four residential properties. All detections were in Brownsville. There are 111 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.
The agencies established the Brownsville quarantine on Aug. 2, 2024.
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 and to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with TDA to eradicate transient Mexfly populations.
The APHIS exotic fruit flies website contains descriptions and maps of the quarantine areas.
Source: APHIS
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