On June 26, 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) amended five Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantines across multiple counties in Texas. These included updates to the Brownsville quarantine in Cameron County, the Edinburg-Palmview and Donna quarantines in Hidalgo County, the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine spanning Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties, and the Sullivan City quarantine in Hidalgo County. Additionally, APHIS and TDA removed two quarantines: the Bayview quarantine in Cameron County on June 27 and the Lyford quarantine in Willacy County on June 30.
On June 26, the Brownsville quarantine was expanded by 21 square miles after the detection of a Mexfly larva in a Texas olive (Cordia boissieri) on a residential property in Brownsville, confirmed on June 10. The total quarantine area now covers 147 square miles and includes 103 acres of commercial citrus. The expansion zone, however, does not contain commercial citrus.
© APHIS/USDA
Also on June 26, APHIS and TDA merged the Edinburg-Palmview and Donna quarantine areas and simultaneously removed 44 square miles from quarantine, including 945 acres of commercial citrus. This action followed the confirmation on June 11 of a Mexfly larva found in a sour orange on a residential property in Alamo. The revised Edinburg-Palmview-Donna quarantine area now totals 430 square miles and encompasses 9,454 acres of commercial citrus. The release of land from quarantine occurred after three generations had elapsed since the last detection, based on a degree-day model.
The Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine area was also reduced by 15 square miles on June 26, after three generations had passed since the last confirmed detection in that portion of the quarantine area. There is no commercial citrus in the area removed. The adjusted quarantine area now stands at 428 square miles, including 1,459 acres of commercial citrus.
On the same day, APHIS and TDA reduced the Sullivan City quarantine by nine square miles, again following the degree-day model. The updated quarantine area is now 71 square miles, with no commercial citrus included.
On June 27, APHIS and TDA lifted the Bayview quarantine in Cameron County. This action released 90 square miles, including 285 acres of commercial citrus, from quarantine. On June 30, the Lyford quarantine in Willacy County was also removed, releasing 71 square miles with no commercial citrus.
APHIS continues to apply safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas in the United States and to protect foreign trade. The agency is working closely with the Texas Department of Agriculture to eradicate transient Mexfly populations, following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.
For more information:
Catherine Marzolf
APHIS/USDA
Tel: +1 386 666 9932
Email: [email protected]
www.aphis.usda.gov
