Country: United States

Title:

Anastrepha obliqua: APHIS Establishes a Quarantine Area in Texas

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

Report:

On January 16, 2026, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) established a West Indian fruit fly (Anastrepha obliqua) quarantine in Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas, designated the Palmview quarantine. This action parallels the quarantine established by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) on January 13.

APHIS is taking this action in response to the confirmed detection of four West Indian fruit fly larvae in grapefruit collected on a residential property in Mission. The quarantine encompasses approximately 68 square miles with 512 acres of commercial citrus.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of West Indian fruit fly 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 TDA to eradicate this transient West Indian fruit fly population 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, Anastrepha obliqua is a transient pest under eradication that is present only in one area in Texas. This species is not widely distributed and is under official control in the United States.

Posted Date: Jan. 30, 2026, 3:20 p.m.