Country: United States

Title: Diaphorina citri (Asian Citrus Psyllid) – Quarantined Area Expanded in Arizona

Contact:
Citrus Health Response Program National Coordinator Prakash Hebbar at 301-851- 2228 or National Policy Manager for Citrus Disease Programs Lynn Evans-Goldner at 301-851- 2286.

Report:

Effectively immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) and the Arizona citrus industry, is expanding the area quarantined for the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in Arizona. APHIS is adding new areas in Pima and Santa Cruz counties and expanding the previously established quarantined-area in Yuma County. APHIS is taking this action because of the positive detection of ACP in these areas. The samples were collected during surveys conducted as part of the cooperative Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP).

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the newly regulated areas in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties. These measures parallel the intrastate quarantine the ADA initiated on December 8, 2014. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of ACP to non-infested areas of the United States.

The specific changes to the regulated areas in Arizona can be found at:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/citrus-greening

APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

Under IPPC Standards, Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is considered to be a pest that is present, only in some areas, and subject to official control to limit its spread in the United States.

Posted Date: Feb. 19, 2015, 9 a.m.