US agriculture officials are moving quickly to quarantine an area in Fresno County where several European grapevine moths (EGVM) were discovered in late-April.
The moth was first detected in Napa County vineyards last autumn and has since migrated to neighbouring Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
The find in the Fresno area, some 200 miles (320km) from Napa, is a potentially devastating development for the San Joaquin Valley's US$725m viticulture industry, as the moths can do tremendous damage to vineyards in a very short time.
The USDA's biosecurity body, APHIS, has set up a five-mile (8km) quarantine radius from where the moths were found near Kingsburg, with a chemical abatement programme due to start this week.
Although the table grape crop in the Fresno region will not be ready for harvest until mid-summer, the pest's discovery has serious implications for exports of California stonefruit.
While peaches, plums and nectarines are not natural hosts for the moth, Mexico has now cut off all shipments of fruit from Fresno County.
The USDA and APHIS have been in discussions with their Mexican counterparts to gain entrance for fruit grown outside the five-mile quarantine radius, according to Gary Van Sickle, president of the California Tree Fruit Agreement.
'Even though stonefruit is classified as a non-preferred host for EVGM, Mexico so far has refused to budge on this,' Mr Van Sickle said.
'We are hoping some kind of compromise can be reached soon, as the first peaches and nectarines of the season from Fresno County are due to be picked this week.'
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