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.

Four male specimens of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied) found in the urban area of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico

Country: Mexico

Title: Four male specimens of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied) found in the urban area of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico

Contact:
M. C. José Manuel Gutiérres Ruelas, Director de Moscas de la Fruta SENASICA/DGSV (jruelas@senasica.sagarpa.gob.mx).

Report:

On August 26, 2005 three adult male specimens of Mediterranean fruit fly were found in the same trap in the urban area of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico, and on August 29 another specimen was found in the same trap. On August 27 as a preventive measure, the Emergency plan was placed in effect. Also, research is taking place to determine the origin of these specimens.

From the results of the research, the emergency actions to be applied were determined according to the information provided by the pest trapping and sampling system. Since then, there have not been detections of any additional specimen, and fruit sampling has not detected pest larvae. 

Actions applied with the Emergency program:

  • Outreach activities. 4,500 leaflets with information on the preventive emergency plan were designed and distributed. 

  • Monitoring activities. The number of traps deployed (Jackson, C&C, yellow panel, Multilure and phase IV) was immediately increased in the area surrounding the outbreak, bringing the total to 184 additional traps. Since August 30 to date there have not been any detections of adults. There have been 8 days without specimen detection. 

  • Fruit sampling. To detect larvae, 44 kg of fruit was collected from trees in the urban area. Pest larvae have not been detected. There are no commercial hosts in the area.

  • Mechanical control. 1, 250 kg of fruit from host plants have been collected  and destroyed. 

  • Chemical control. One hundred forty four litres of GF-120 (Spinosad) was applied as a ground spray to the core area (central km2, protecting 126 ha accumulated); also, to strengthen this activity 50 killing traps baited with GF-120 were deployed.

Sampling, preventive trapping, mechanical and chemical control activities continue.

Posted Date: Sept. 6, 2005, 9 a.m.