Photo by Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
Agriculture officials on March 5 established a Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in La Mesa, San Diego County, California, designated the La Mesa quarantine. On March 10 they expanded the quarantine.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established the La Mesa quarantine in response to the Feb. 24 detection of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap in a loquat tree on a residential property. The original quarantine encompassed approximately 77 square miles and contained no commercial agriculture.
APHIS and CDFA expanded the La Mesa quarantine on March 10 in response to a confirmed detection on Feb. 26 of one wild male Mexfly from a trap in a calamondin tree on a residential property in the city of La Mesa. The amended quarantine encompasses approximately 82 square miles and contains no commercial agriculture.
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 CDFA and the agricultural commissioner of San Diego County to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment and regulatory actions.
The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas. The website notes that Mexfly is a serious agricultural pest that can infest more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus and mango. The damage makes crops inedible and unmarketable. Infested fruit decays early and falls to the ground as the larvae develop and feed on the pulp.
APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.
Source: APHIS
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