The circular controlled area takes in parts of Grey Lynn, Western Springs, Mt Albert, Ponsonby and Kingsland.
MPI Chief Operations Officer Andrew Coleman said only the one male insect has been trapped and it did not mean New Zealand has an outbreak of fruit fly.
"The Queensland fruit fly has been detected five times before in northern New Zealand - in Whangarei and in Auckland. In all cases the MPI carried out thorough surveillance and no further flies were found."
Mr Coleman says the MPI has responded swiftly and field teams are starting work today setting additional fruit fly lure traps to determine if other flies are present in the area, and if other flies are there, preventing any spread of the pest out of the area.
"It is vital to find out if this insect is a solitary find or if there is a wider population in Auckland.
"This insect, if established here, could have serious consequences for New Zealand's horticultural industry. It can damage a wide range of fruit and vegetables and could lead to restrictions on trade in some of our horticultural exports."
"These legal controls are an important precaution while we investigate whether there are any further fruit flies present," Mr Coleman said.
"Should there be any more flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area."
He urged people to abide by the rules, saying previous operations had shown public support "is vital to success".
"We appreciate this will be inconvenient for the many people living in and around the controlled area, but compliance with these restrictions is a critical precaution to protect our horticultural industries and home gardens," he said.
"It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least a couple of weeks."
The ministry's response to the discovery has been swift, Mr Coleman said.
"Field teams are starting work today setting additional fruit fly lure traps to determine if other flies are present in the area, and if other flies are there, preventing any spread of the pest out of the area," he said.
"It is vital to find out if this insect is a solitary find or if there is a wider population in Auckland.
"This insect, if established here, could have serious consequences for New Zealand's horticultural industry. It can damage a wide range of fruit and vegetables and could lead to restrictions on trade in some of our horticultural exports."
In April 2014, a single male Queensland fruit fly was found in a MPI surveillance trap in the Parihaka area of Whangarei. It was trapped approximately 400m from where another was trapped in January 2014.
There are strict requirements on the importation of fruit and vegetables to minimise the risk of the pest coming into the country.
Air and sea passengers are prohibited from bringing fresh fruit and vegetables into New Zealand.
The MPI uses some 7500 lure-based surveillance traps to monitor the presence of fruit flies.
"By setting traps for these pest insects, we are able to detect their presence early, have assurance about exactly where the problem is located and respond faster and more effectively where finds are made," Mr Coleman said.
Horticulture New Zealand said the discovery of a fruit fly showed it was time to reinstate x-rays of all passenger bags at New Zealand's international airports.
The measure was needed, at least for the summer, the organisation said, to protect the nation's $5 billion horticulture industry and 5500 commercial fruit and vegetable growers.
"So far it is only one fly. And we fully support the Ministry for Primary Industries' response to this threat," HortNZ president Julian Raine said.
"We also ask the public to back the ministry's efforts, especially in the exclusion zone areas, as this pest will also have big impacts on home gardeners."
Mr Raine said HortNZ was laying the blame for the fruit fly breach on "Australia's inability to control the pest".
"Australia's biosecurity protection within its own state borders is seriously breaking down," he said.
"Just last week the residents of Adelaide were told of the second detection of Queensland fruit flies in their city in less than two months. Seven flies were found in the last detection.
"South Australia is supposed to be a Queensland fruit fly-free state. Obviously the spread of this pest is out of control in Australia and the interstate regulators are powerless to stop its progression south."
The Queensland fruit fly can only reach New Zealand from Australia and some Pacific islands, with the most likely transportation via a plane passenger or on a consignment of imported fruit, Mr Raine said.
"Reinstating the 100 per cent x-ray of passenger bags coming from across the Tasman would go a long way towards helping us improve our protection and lower this risk.
"It is not acceptable to go through this drama every summer. New Zealand horticulture deserves better protection."
HortNZ said the risk to New Zealand's horticulture industry from the insect was two-fold -- the destruction caused by the pest and on-going cost to control it; and the cost of international markets closing to Kiwi products.
• Detailed maps of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries can be found at www.mpi.govt.nz
• Report suspected finds of the Queensland fruit fly to MPI's pest and diseases hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
• All whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and root vegetables, cannot be moved outside of the Controlled Area.
• Within the wider Controlled Area there is a smaller central Zone A, which takes in a circle 200m out from the initial find, and whole fruit and vegetables cannot be moved outside of this zone at all.
• Fruit and vegetables can continue to be transported from outside the Controlled Area into the Controlled Area.
• Residents are asked to avoid composting any risk fruits and vegetables. For disposing of fruit and vegetable waste, they are encouraged to use a sink waste disposal unit if possible.
• The MPI will be providing special bins in the Controlled Area for the disposal of fruit and vegetable waste. The locations of these bins will be advised shortly.
Fruit fly facts:
• The Queensland fruit fly is a native of Australia, where it is considered to be the country's most serious insect pest of fruit and vegetable crops.
• The fruit fly has been detected five times before in New Zealand - in Whangarei in 1995, 2013 and 2014, and in Auckland in 1996 and 2012. In all cases increased surveillance found no further sign of the pest.
• Air and sea passengers are prohibited from bringing fresh fruit and vegetables into New Zealand.
• Fruit flies eat ripened fruit and vegetables. Eggs which female fruit flies lay on fruit hatch into larvae which find dark places where they grow six legs and wings before emerging as adults.
• Larvae of fruit flies develop in moist areas where organic material and standing water are present. The entire life cycle lasts 25 days or more depending on the environmental conditions and the availability of food.
