A second species of fruit fly has been discovered in Auckland.
The solitary male fly was identified as the 'facialis fruit fly' after being found in a surveillance trap in Ōtara.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says no other members of the species have been found and there's no indication of a facialis invasion in New Zealand.
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On Thursday a male Queensland fruit fly was caught in Devonport, prompting an investigation from Biosecurity New Zealand.
Tuesday's discovery is unrelated to the Devonport situation.
MPI Director Ray Smith says the facialis fly is native to Tonga. It badly effects capsicum and chilli crops but seems less harmful than other fruits and vegetables.
"As with the fruit fly in Devonport, we need to determine if it's a lone specimen or if there's a population of these flies in the area," Mr Smith says.
"To do this, we're setting more traps in the area around the find. And while we look for more flies, we have restricted the movement of fruit and vegetables to stop the spread of any other facialis fruit flies that may be out there.
"We are progressively ramping-up activities in the area and will be working closely with the local community."
A controlled area has been set up around the Ōtara location where the fly was trapped. Whole fresh fruit and vegetables cannot be moved outside of the zone 200m around where the discovery was made.
MPI says the facialis species is used to a tropical climate so may not thrive in New Zealand.
Newshub.
