Effective August 10, 2022, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. This area was a portion of the Harlingen-Lyford-Weslaco quarantine.
On April 8, 2022, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and restricted interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States. This action was necessary after APHIS confirmed one mated female Mexfly from a trap in a sweet orange tree in a residential area. On May 27, APHIS and TDA merged the Weslaco quarantine with the Harlingen-Lyford quarantine following the confirmed detection of a mated female Mexfly from a trap in a citrus tree in a residential area.
Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with TDA to eradicate the transient Mexfly population through various control actions per program protocols. APHIS removed the quarantine area after three Mexfly life cycles elapsed, with no additional detections in this area.
The following website contains a description of all the current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine.
For additional information on the Mexfly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at 301-851-2109.
/s/
Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Original source can be found here.
