USDA APHIS establishes and expands Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) quarantine areas in Texas

On January 28, 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine in Sullivan City, Hidalgo County, Texas. On February 4, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Lyford, Willacy County. On February 5, APHIS and TDA expanded the Bayview Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County. On February 7, APHIS and TDA expanded the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties. On February 10, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in Palmview, Hidalgo County; APHIS and TDA slightly expanded the quarantine on February 13.

APHIS and TDA established the Sullivan City quarantine in response to the confirmed detections on January 22 and 27 of a wild mated female Mexfly in a trap on a sweet orange tree and Mexfly larvae in sweet orange fruits on a residential property. The quarantine area is 55 square miles and contains no commercial agriculture.

APHIS and TDA established the Lyford quarantine in response to the confirmed detections on January 24 and 28 of a wild mated female Mexfly in a trap on a sour orange tree and Mexfly larvae in grapefruits on a residential property. The quarantine area is 71 square miles and contains no commercial agriculture.

APHIS and TDA expanded the Bayview quarantine by 19 square miles to 91 square miles following the confirmed detections on January 16 of Mexfly larvae in grapefruits in a commercial grove, and on January 24 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap on a grapefruit tree on a residential property. APHIS and TDA established the Bayview quarantine on January 13, 2025, following the detections of a wild mated female Mexfly and Mexfly larvae. There are 292 acres of commercial citrus in the quarantine area.

APHIS and TDA expanded the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine by 78 square miles to 335 square miles following the confirmed detections on January 30 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap on a grapefruit tree and on February 4 of Mexfly larvae in grapefruit in a commercial grove in Harlingen, and on February 3 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap on a sour orange tree on a residential property in San Benito. There are 1,479 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 consolidated these two quarantines on September 27, and amended these quarantines on April 3, May 20, June 27, August 2, August 29, September 27, October 11, November 1, December 6, and January 17; 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 established the Palmview quarantine in response to the confirmed detection on February 9 of Mexfly larvae in sweet orange fruit on a residential property. The quarantine area is 69 square miles and contains 980 acres of commercial citrus.

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 a 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.