Officials order quarantine in South Texas due to Mexfly larvae

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Federal and state authorities have quarantined over a thousand acres of citrus crops after discovering the presence of Mexican fruit flies in South Texas.

Officials with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the Texas Department of Agriculture say the Mexfly larvae have been identified in farmland in Hidalgo and Cameron counties in South Texas.

An earlier quarantine was ordered in December after the pests were found in a grapefruit grove in La Feria. Officials say fruit should not be left hanging on trees or lying on the ground and people should not send any fruit outside the quarantined areas.

The Mexfly is attracted to citrus fruits like grapefruits, oranges and mangoes. The USDA says the fruit flies pose a serious threat for the Texas citrus industry.

From the USDA:

The Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens or Mexfly) is a serious agricultural pest. It can infest more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus and mango. The damage makes crops inedible and unmarketable.

Mexican fruit fly was first found in central Mexico in 1863 and along the California-Mexico border by the early 1950s. Today, Mexfly continues to pose a serious threat for the Texas citrus industry and a wide range of other valuable U.S. crops.