Country: United States

Title: New regulated area for Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, in San Bernardino County, California

Contact:
John Stewart, APHIS Exotic Fruit Fly Manager, at (919) 855-7426

Report: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) established an 88-square mile regulated area, which became effective on August 27, 2012, in the Rancho Cucamonga area of San Bernardino County, California for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly). APHIS is applying restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from this area. These actions are necessary in order to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

On August 16, 2012, two adult male and one unmated female Medflies were detected on a single residential property in the Rancho Cucamonga area of San Bernardino County. An additional wild male med fly was detected the same day at another site approximately a mile and a half away. APHIS, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is responding to these confirmed Medfly detections.

APHIS and CDFA are deploying fruit fly traps at protocol levels surrounding all Medfly detection sites; applying Spinosad foliar bait spray treatments to all host trees around the detection sites at 7-10 day intervals and removing any existing fruit; and Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) over the entire regulated area. SIT is an eradicative tool, which consists of the aerial release of sterile male Medflies into the detected wild population in order to reduce reproduction. Sterile male Medflies are released at a rate of 250,000-per-square-mile each week.

The establishment of this regulated area is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current Federal fruit fly regulated areas:

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: Oct. 22, 2012, 9 a.m.