LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH DETECTED IN MENDOCINO COUNTY, STATE QUARANTINE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE FORT BRAGG AREA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2015
Contact: Chuck Morse, Agricultural Commissioner
LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH DETECTED IN MENDOCINO COUNTY, STATE QUARANTINE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE FORT BRAGG AREA
On Tuesday, April 21, Biologists with the Department of Agriculture caught 3 adult male moths in the Fort Bragg area. Confirmation that the moths were indeed Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) was received from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) diagnostics lab on April 22, 2015. The finding of this many moths triggers the requirement for a quarantine. As a result, the CDFA will work cooperatively with the Agricultural Commissioner to establish quarantine boundary lines for the Fort Bragg area. Once established, these boundary lines will be posted on the CDFA-LBAM webpage as well as the County Agriculture Department’s webpage.
The moths were detected in traps placed in response to a single male moth find at the end of October, 2014. Those traps were placed the first week of April and our first checking of the traps detected the moths. Our high density trapping will be expanded to encompass the larger area now required to monitor the extent of the infestation.
The Mendocino County Department of Agriculture has begun the process of enacting the necessary procedures and protocols to address the establishment of a quarantine. An informational meeting will be scheduled for agricultural producers, nursery owners, and others in the area to go over the requirements necessary to facilitate the continued movement and commerce of their commodities. Information on where and when the meeting will be held will be released after the quarantine boundaries are established.
LBAM was first detected in California in March of 2007 in Berkeley and is now known to exist in 16 other counties. It is native to Australia and was subsequently introduced to New Zealand, Tasmania, New Caledonia, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Hawaii. In Australia, it is considered a significant pest of apples, pears, oranges, and grapes. LBAM has a host range in excess of 50 plant families encompassing over 190 plant genera and well over 2,000 plant species. Over 250 fruits and vegetables are considered host for LBAM as well. The ornamental and native plant hosts for LBAM have allowed it to become established in certain areas. For more information on the Light Brown Apple Moth, please visit the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s pest profile site at:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pdep/target_pest_disease_profiles/LBAM_PestProfile.html