The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is to run a campaign to encourage people to look for the asian gypsy moth.
In April, a single moth was caught in Frankton in an "early-warning" trap grid Maf set up in 1993.
Discovery of the male moth sparked a major search and trap-laying
effort, but no other asian gypsy moths were found.
The publicity campaign will encourage people to look for egg masses, the stage of life the moth would now be in. An egg mass can produce up to 1000 caterpillars.
The moth, a voracious eater, is capable of severely damaging the forestry industry and is one of Maf's top-10 unwanted pests.
Response manager Mark Ross said it was unlikely that a lone moth or pupa (chrysalis) would survive the journey in a shipment of used cars, but an egg mass could.
He said Maf could not discount the possibility that there was a population asian gypsy moths in Hamilton.
- NZPA
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
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