Country: United States

Title:

Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean Fruit Fly): APHIS Expands Quarantine in Los Angeles County, California

Contact:
Richard Johnson, Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, at (301) 851-2109 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov

Report:

On December 5 and December 8, 2023, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in the Leimert Park area of Los Angeles County, California. This action is in response to the confirmed detection by CDFA of nine wild adult flies between November 21 and December 1, from traps in fruit trees in residential areas. As a result of these detections, the Leimert Park area quarantine increased by 43 square miles to 141 square miles. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area.

APHIS and CDFA established the original Medfly quarantine on October 18, as described in DA-2023-21, and expanded the quarantine on November 1, November 7 and November 15, as described in DA-2023-23 and DA-2023-28. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly 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 Los Angeles County to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The expansion of this quarantine area is reflected on the APHIS fruit fly website, which contains a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.

Under IPPC standards, Ceratitis capitata  is a transient pest under eradication that is present only in one area in California.  This species is not widely distributed and is under official control in the United States.

Posted Date: Dec. 21, 2023, 8:30 a.m.