APHIS Expands Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2025-13
March 28, 2025

Subject:  APHIS Expands Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Areas in Texas

To:  State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On February 26, 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties, Texas. On March 17, APHIS and TDA expanded the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County.

APHIS and TDA expanded the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine by 68 square miles to 403 square miles following the confirmed detections on February 10 of two wild mated female Mexflies from traps on citrus trees on two residential properties in Harlingen, and on February 14 and 20 of Mexfly larvae in sour orange fruits on two residential properties in Los Indios. There are 1,480 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.

APHIS and TDA established the Sebastian quarantine on March 21, 2024, following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly, and the Harlingen quarantine on March 26, 2024, following the detections of six wild mated female Mexflies. APHIS and TDA amended these individual quarantines on April 3, May 20, June 27, August 2, August 29, and consolidated these two quarantines on September 27. APHIS and TDA then further amended the consolidated quarantine on October 11, November 1, and December 6, 2024, and January 17 and February 7, 2025; these were either expansions following the detections of additional Mexflies and Mexfly larvae or removals after three generations elapsed since the dates of the last detections in some portions. 

APHIS and TDA expanded the Brownsville quarantine by 64 square miles to 110 square miles following the confirmed detections on February 24 of wild mated female Mexflies from traps on guava and olive trees on three residential properties, and between March 1 and 9 of Mexfly larvae in orange fruits on four residential properties, all in Brownsville. There are 111 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.

APHIS and TDA established the Brownsville quarantine on August 2, 2024, following the confirmed detection on July 26 of Mexfly larvae in citrus fruits on two residential properties. APHIS and TDA reduced the quarantine on December 6 and January 10 after three generations elapsed since the dates of the last wild Mexfly detections in some portions and expanded the quarantine on December 20 following the detection of a wild mated female Mexfly.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Mexfly 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 transient Mexfly populations following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The APHIS exotic fruit flies website contains descriptions and maps of the quarantine areas, as well as all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.

For additional information on the Mexfly quarantine areas, please contact:

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

Avraham Eitam
Assistant National Policy Manager
614-205-4565
avraham.eitam@usda.gov

/s/

Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine