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

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2025-54 
December 19, 2025

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

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On December 12, 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 Peñitas, Hidalgo County, Texas, designated the Peñitas quarantine. On December 16, APHIS and TDA expanded the La Feria Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County, Texas.

APHIS and TDA established the Peñitas quarantine in response to the confirmed detection on December 4 of one Mexfly larva in sour orange collected on a residential property in Peñitas. The quarantine encompasses approximately 53.2 square miles with 223.3 acres of commercial citrus

APHIS and TDA expanded the La Feria quarantine following the confirmed detection on December 12 of one Mexfly larva in a grapefruit collected in a commercial grove in La Feria. This action expanded the quarantine by 46.71 square miles and includes 139.35 acres of additional commercial citrus. The amended quarantine encompasses approximately 124.2 square miles with 970.6 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 these transient Mexfly populations following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

For additional information you may contact: 
Catherine Marzolf 
National Policy Manager 
386-666-9932 
catherine.a.marzolf@usda.gov

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Acting Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine