Environmental Health Indicators

Exotic mosquito species established in New Zealand

The presence of exotic mosquito species in New Zealand increases the risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks here.

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No new exotic mosquito species introduced to New Zealand in 2019.
June 2020: Eradication of Culex sitiens from New Zealand

No new exotic mosquito species introduced to New Zealand in 2019.

  • As of 2019, there are three long-established exotic mosquito species in New Zealand (Table 1) [1].
  • A fourth exotic mosquito species, the Southern Saltmarsh mosquito (Aedes camptorhynchus), first discovered in New Zealand in 1998, was eradicated in 2010.
  • In 2018, Culex sitiens was detected in Kaipara Harbour through the National Saltmarsh mosquito surveillance programme [2]

 

Table 1: New Zealand’s recent history of exotic mosquito introductions

Exotic mosquito species known to have established in New Zealand Time period New Zealand distribution
Aedes australis

1961 - present

Southern South Island
Aedes notoscriptus 1916 - present

North Island and South Island from Lyttelton north
Culex quinquefasciatus 1830 - present North Island and northern South Island

Southern Saltmarsh Mosquito

(Aedes camptorhynchus)

 1998 - 2010 North and eastern North Island and northern South Island

Data source: New Zealand BioSecure, 2020

June 2020: Eradication of Culex sitiens from New Zealand

On 5 June 2020, MPI announced the eradication of the Culex sitiens from New Zealand, 2 years after larvae were initially detected in Kaipara Harbour. The eradication was the result of a successful ground surveillance and aerial spraying programme [2].

References

1. New Zealand BioSecure Entomology Laboratory. New Zealand Mosquitoes. Southern Monitoring Services Limited. (Accessed May 2020). Available at: www.smsl.co.nz

2. MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries). Alerts: Culex stitiens. (Accessed June 2020). Available at: www.mpi.govt.nz

 

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