“The fly is a serious pest that could harm a range of fruit crops,” Biosecurity New Zealand head Roger Smith said.
The fly is not normally associated with citrus fruit. Technical experts are assessing the find and any measures that might need to be taken.
“As a precautionary measure we have put a temporary hold on citrus consignments from the US,” he said.
“We are working with authorities in the US to identify the source of the contamination and possible treatment options for consignments on their way to NZ.”
Spotted wing drosophila are native to India, Korea, Japan and much of southeast Asia. They are also found across much of North America and western Europe.
Biosecurity NZ says the flies are a particular risk because they can lay eggs in fresh fruit before it is picked. They can damage berries, stonefruit and grapes.
“If they invaded NZ all commercial and home growers would face increased pest control costs and lowered crop yields.” – BusinessDesk
