Mike Inglis, Biosecurity Commissioner North, in January with a sign showing the secured fruit fly area in Papatoetoe. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
There's no evidence of a breeding population after the discovery of a second fruit fly on Thursday, according to New Zealand's head of biosecurity.
Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating and boosting trapping after an Oriental fruit fly was found in the suburb of Birkdale, on Auckland's North Shore.
It comes after another oriental fruit fly was found in South Auckland's Papatoetoe at the start of January.
The Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner, Mike Ingles said although the two flies could be connected there's no evidence to suggest a breeding population has established itself in New Zealand.
"Our scientific team are going through genetic testing at the moment, but what we do know is there's not a breeding population at this stage."
The fruit fly was considered a significant threat, with maggots capable of feeding on more than 300 different fruit and vegetable crops. It posed no risk to human health.
An oriental fruit fly was found in a trap in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe, on Friday 3 December. Photo: Supplied / MPI
The fly's favourite hosts are apple, guava, mango, peach, and pear.
The fruit fly (Shutterstock) Photo:
Ingles said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) conducted an extensive trapping operation after the first fruit fly discovery back in January, restricting the movement of produce across Papatoetoe, "checking hundreds of kilograms of fruit and vegetables... with extensive commitment from the public in the community.
The restrictions were lifted weeks later after no evidence of fruit fly spread was discovered.
"We had no further adult fruit flies, eggs, larvae, or pupae found over this period that gave us confidence that there was not a breeding population there."
However, trapping and inspection would now ramp up on the North Shore, Inglis said, simply to ensure "we get on top of this" with daily checks in a 200m zone from the original find and checks every three days in a second zone out to 1500m.
"Just in the area itself, in North Shore, there's over 700 traps.
"We're do everything that we can, obviously make sure that we're responding effectively in this space."
Instructions about the controls would be released on Friday, Ingles said, and he asked anyone in the affected area not to take any whole fresh fruit or vegetables out of their property until then.
Biosecurity staff would be in the area providing people with information, he said.
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