Country: United States

Title: Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) - Quarantined Area in Santa Clara County, California

Contact:
Wayne Burnett, Domestic Coordinator, Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Programs, at (301) 734-4387

Report: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the detection of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) in the San Jose area of Santa Clara County, California. APHIS is designating portions of Santa Clara County as Medfly quarantine areas and is applying restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of Medfly to noninfested areas of the United States.

From September 18 through October 12, 2007, APHIS confirmed the detection of 3 adult male and 4 adult unmated female Medflies on 4 separate residential properties in the San Jose area. All detection sites are within one mile of each other. These detections triggered the initiation of this quarantine. The quarantine boundary encompasses approximately 75 square miles of Santa Clara County. Commercial host production within the quarantine area includes wine grapes, olives and apricots.

Fruit fly traps have been deployed at protocol levels to conduct a delimitation survey surrounding the detection sites. Spinosad foliar bait spray treatments are being applied to all host trees within 200 meters of the detection at 7 to 10 day intervals. A sterile Medfly release effort began on October 12, 2007, at a release rate of 250,000 sterile Medflies per square mile per week over an approximate 11 square mile area surrounding the detection sites. The weekly release of sterile Medflies will continue through two projected Medfly life cycles in the San Jose area.

Under IPPC Standards, Ceratitis capitata is considered to be a pest that is transient, actionable, and under eradication in the United States.
 

Posted Date: Oct. 29, 2007, 9 a.m.