Country: United States

Title: Bactrocera dorsalis (Oriental Fruit Fly): APHIS Establishes an Quarantine in North Hills, Los Angeles County, California

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

Report:

Effective July 1, 2022, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis or OFF) quarantine in the North Hills area of Los Angeles County, California. This action is in response to the confirmed detections of 14 adult male OFF from four sites in the North Hills area by CDFA between June 22 and June 28; all were from traps in various types of fruit trees in residential areas.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the area to prevent the spread of OFF to non-infested areas of the United States. In cooperation with CDFA, APHIS is establishing a quarantine area, which encompasses approximately 89 square miles of Los Angeles County. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Los Angeles County Department of Agricultural Commissioner to respond to these detections following program survey, treatment protocols, and regulatory responses.

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following website, which contains a description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine

Under IPPC standards, Bactrocera dorsalis  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: Aug. 18, 2022, 11:29 a.m.