Country: United States

Title: White Striped Fruit Fly, Bactrocera albistrigata, Quarantine Area Established in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California

Contact:
Wayne Burnett, APHIS Exotic Fruit Fly Director, Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Programs, (301) 734-4387

Report: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the finding of a white striped fruit fly population in the La Verne and San Dimas areas of Los Angeles County, California. APHIS is designating portions of Los Angeles County and an adjacent area of San Bernardino County as a white striped fruit fly quarantine area and is applying restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of white striped fruit fly to noninfested areas of the United States.

White striped fruit fly is a Tephritid fruit fly that has not previously been detected in the United States. The general appearance of this fruit fly is similar to the Oriental fruit fly, but with some differences in the wing pattern and the coloration of the thorax. Commercial commodities that host this pest include mango, guava, and carambola.

From July 9 through July 22, 2009, APHIS, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, confirmed the detection of four male, one mated female, and one unmated female white striped fruit flies on various residential properties in the La Verne and San Dimas areas. These detections triggered the establishment of this quarantine area, which encompasses approximately 81-square miles of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, consisting mostly of residential areas with minimal commercial host production.

Fruit fly traps have been deployed at protocol levels to conduct a delimitation survey surrounding the detection sites. Population control activities within the quarantined area includes the application of spinosad bait spray to host trees within 200 meters surrounding all detection sites and a population control treatment known as the male annihilation technique (MAT). MAT treatment includes the deployment of 1,000 removable Jackson trap bait stations per square mile throughout the treatment area. The traps are baited with Cuelure/naled.

The quarantine was effective August 10, 2009, and 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/index.shtml  

Under IPPC standards, Bactrocera albistrigata is considered to be transient, actionable, and under eradication in the United States.
 

Posted Date: Aug. 18, 2009, 9 a.m.