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.
Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas
Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas
Country: United States
Title: Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) - Removal of Quarantine Area in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas
Contact:
John Stewart, Exotic Fruit Fly Policy Manager, at 919-855-7426.
Report:
Effective August 25, 2014, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly quarantine area from Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas.
To prevent the spread of Mexican fruit fly (mexfly) to noninfested areas of the United States, APHIS and TDA established a mexfly regulated area (DA-2014-26 dated January 16, 2014) that restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. APHIS, TDA, and the Texas citrus industry followed program protocols and used various control actions to eradicate the transient mexfly populations. APHIS removed the quarantine after three life cycles passed without finding additional mexflies in this area.
Information about the removal of this quarantine area and a description of all of the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas may be found at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine
Under IPPC standards, Anastrepha ludens is considered to be a pest that is transient, actionable, and under eradication in the United States.
Posted Date: Oct. 28, 2014, 9 a.m.