| (a) The Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly), Anastrepha ludens, a dangerous insect pest
of the host plants listed in §19.503 of this subchapter (relating
to Regulated Articles), is the quarantined pest.
(b) Basis for the quarantine. The Mexfly is not native
to the United States, but is able to establish infestations in Texas
and some other parts of this country through cross-border traffic
and trade and by natural dispersal. Mated female Mexflies oviposit
in fruit, and resulting larvae feed on the flesh of the fruit, thereby
making the fruit unmarketable. The department, many other states,
and the USDA consider the Mexican fruit fly to be a serious plant
pest whose control and eventual eradication from quarantined areas
is imperative.
(c) The department is authorized by the Texas Agriculture
Code, §71.002, to establish a quarantine against the dangerous
insect pest identified in this section.
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