This award supports the goal of aphis PPQ to protect citrus production from the invasive mexfly (mexican fruit fly, anastrepha ludens) in the lower RIO grande valley area, TX

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $275,754 to North Carolina State University on September 30, 2025, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to develop a novel strain for the sterile insect technique program protecting citrus production from the invasive Mexican fruit fly in the Lower Rio Grande Valley area, Texas.

The project applies frontier genetic engineering technology to create sterile insect technique flies with aberrant eye color traits. This approach reduces labor time and costs for the dye staining procedure currently performed in the rearing facility and provides a stable, phenotypic marker for field identification of sterile flies compared to invasive Mexican fruit flies.

Performance extends from the award date through September 29, 2027, with work conducted in the United States.

The awarded project is to develop a novel strain for the sterile insect technique (SIT) program. The frontier genetic engineering technology will provide SIT flies with aberrant eye color traits. This study will deliver significant benefits in the current SIT program. First, IT will reduce labor time and costs for the DYE staining procedure in the rearing facility. Second, IT will provide a stable, phenotypic marker for the identification of sterile flies compared to the invasive mexfly in the fields.