Country: United States

Title: Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean Fruit Fly) - Establishment of a New Quarantine Area in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

Contact:
John Stewart, Exotic Fruit Fly Manager, at 919-855-7426.

Report:

Effective May 13, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) established a new Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) quarantine area in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. APHIS is applying restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantine area. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of medfly to non-infested areas of the United States. This medfly outbreak is considered transient, actionable, and under eradication.

On March 3, APHIS found an unmated female medfly in a residential section of Cabo Rojo, a municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. On March 19, another wild medfly adult was collected approximately one mile from the first medfly detection site. The second detection was sufficient to trigger an APHIS emergency quarantine and eradication response. This is the first federal quarantine and eradication program for this exotic fruit fly in Puerto Rico.

APHIS is working with the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture (PRDA) to respond to these detections, following program survey, treatment and quarantine protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of medfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

The establishment of this quarantine area and a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas are available on the following designated website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fruit_flies/index.shtml

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

Posted Date: June 15, 2015, 9 a.m.