Country: United States

Title:

Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean Fruit Fly): APHIS Expands the Santa Clara Quarantine in California (OPR-46)

Contact:
Catherine Marzolf, National Policy Manager, 386-666-9932 or catherine.a.marzolf@usda.gov

Report:

On October 30 and November 3, 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Santa Clara Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in California. This quarantine includes portions of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California; this action only expands portions in Santa Clara County.

On October 30, APHIS and CDFA expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine in response to the confirmed detections on October 21 of two wild mated female Medflies from a trap in a fig tree located on a residential property in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County. This action expanded the quarantine by less than one square mile and does not include additional commercial agriculture. On November 3, APHIS and CDFA further expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine in response to the confirmed detections on October 24 of one wild unmated female Medfly from a trap in a fig tree and of one wild mated female Medfly from a trap in a persimmon tree. Both traps were located on residential properties in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County. This action expanded the quarantine by seven square miles and does not include additional commercial agriculture. Both actions only expanded the portion of the quarantine in Santa Clara County. The amended quarantine encompasses 205 square miles with 47 acres of commercial agriculture, including grape, olive, orange, pepper, stone fruit, and tomato.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

Under IPPC standards, Ceratitis capitata is a transient pest under eradication that is present only in one area in California. This species is not widely distributed and is under official control in the United States.

Posted Date: Nov. 25, 2025, 11:59 a.m.