A trapping programme is under way at wharves in Auckland and Wellington after the discovery of live larvae of what is thought to be a species of the Aedes mosquito.
The larvae were found at the Port of Auckland in water in a small plastic container on the back of a tanker truck on Saturday.
The truck, on board a ship from Japan, was treated with insecticides and fumigated. All other vehicles on board the vessel were checked.
The ship, the MV Capricorn Ace, docked in Wellington on Monday after leaving Auckland.
It is the sixth time this year and the 12th in the past three years that Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry quarantine staff have discovered exotic mosquito larvae.
A Ministry of Health biosecurity technical officer, Sally Gilbert, says taxonomy experts report the latest find is an Aedes mosquito but the exact species has not yet been determined.
Ms Gilbert says the ministry expects to know the exact species next week. In the meantime, precautionary measures have been put in place.
The Asian tiger mosquito, which carries dengue fever, is a species of Aedes mosquito. Other species are harmless.
Larvae spark biosecurity alert
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.