Anastrepha ludens (Mexican Fruit Fly): APHIS Removes the Quarantine Area in Lasara, Willacy County, Texas
Effective June 9, 2021, 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 Lasara, Willacy County, Texas.
On November 5, 2020, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Lasara, Willacy 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 mandarin tree in a residential area on November 5, 2020. Since that time, APHIS 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.
Under IPPC standards, Anastrepha ludens is a pest that is present: not widely distributed and under official control in the United States