Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), a destructive Asian fruit fly, has been discovered in orchards in the Washington towns of Pasco and Mattawa, according to a report in the Seattle Times.
A single SWD was also found in Prosser, according to Doug Walsh, a University of Washington insect expert.
"It's a concern, but it's important to note that while it's here, it's not everywhere," Mr Walsh said.
Already this year the SWD has put a severe dent in US exports of table grapes and stonefruit, and the pest also affects cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Table grape shipments to Australia are suspended for the time being as biosecurity authorities investigate potential fumigation options.
Mark Baker, of Produce Marketing Australia, told Fruitnet.com he was unaware of precisely what method of fumigation was being used in the trials, but he predicted a sharp drop in imports if seafreight was not a viable option.
"I'd predict import volumes could drop back to 2006 levels, which was the last year we had methyl bromide fumigation of US grapes," Mr Baker said.
"Between 2006 and 2007 grape imports from the US increased around four times, simply because without methyl bromide fumigation, seafreight becomes a possibility."
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