The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on Oct. 7 the establishment of a West Indian fruit fly quarantine in Port Isabel, Cameron County, Texas. APHIS took the action in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The action parallels the quarantine established by TDA on Aug. 21.
APHIS is taking this action after confirming a mated female West Indian fruit fly in a trap placed in a mango tree on a residential property in Port Isabel. The Port Isabel quarantine encompasses 19.19 square miles and does not include any commercial agriculture.
ABOUT THE BUG
West Indian fruit fly is established in Mexico, Central and South America, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. It is not endemic to the continental United States, Hawaii and its other territories.
This pest causes damage when females lay eggs in the plant host. The eggs hatch into larvae, which tunnel through the flesh of the host, making it unfit for consumption.
WHAT IS BEING DONE
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent West Indian fruit fly from spreading to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS and TDA are working together to eradicate the transient fruit fly population following program guidelines for survey, treatment and regulatory actions.
MORE INFORMATION
See the full list of citrus and other West Indian fruit fly hosts that are considered regulated articles here.
Maps and descriptions of all current federal fruit fly quarantined areas are available on the APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies webpage. The quarantines are for European Cherry, Mediterranean, Mexican and Oriental fruit flies.
Source: APHIS
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