Official Pest Report
Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.
Anastrepha ludens (Mexican fruit fly) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Cameron County, Texas
Anastrepha ludens (Mexican fruit fly) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Cameron County, Texas
Country: United States
Title: Anastrepha ludens (Mexican fruit fly) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Cameron County, Texas
Contact:
Wayne Burnett, APHIS Exotic Fruit Fly Director, Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Programs, (301) 734-4387
Report:
Effective August 16, 2011, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) removed the Bayview area of Cameron County, Texas, as a Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area. As a result, there are no remaining Mexfly quarantine areas in Cameron County, Texas.
On April 22, 2011, APHIS designated portions of Cameron County as fruit fly-quarantine areas restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area in order to prevent the spread of Mexfly to noninfested areas of the United States. Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with the Texas Department of Agriculture to eradicate the transient Mexfly populations through various control actions, including the application of sterile insect technique by releasing sterile male Mexflies in the area surrounding the detection sites and using foliar bait sprays near the detection sites.
Eradication was concluded after sufficient time passed without finding additional Mexflies in those areas. Specifically, an intensified fruit fly trap surveillance system was deployed and monitored for three life cycles and calculated through a modeling process specific for Mexfly. Accordingly, APHIS removed the Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County on August 16, 2011. This removal of the quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fruit_flies/quarantine.shtml
APHIS anticipates following this action with the publication of a notice in the Federal Register informing the public of this change.
Under IPPC Standards, Anastrepha ludens is considered to be a pest that is now absent: pest eradicated from Cameron County, Texas in the United States.
Posted Date: Aug. 17, 2011, 9 a.m.