More spiders have arrived in table grapes from California.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry spokesman Justin Downs said yesterday that two redback jumping spiders were captured when containers of grapes were being unpacked - one in Hastings, the other in Christchurch.
Last month two live black widows were discovered in cartons of
grapes.
Mr Downs said the redbacks looked similar to the New Zealand katipo. The North American spider (phidippus johnsoni) is hairy, grows to about 2cm and often has a distinctly red back with a black stripe. But it is thought to jump, as its name implies, unlike the katipo. It is venomous, but its bite is not fatal.
Mr Downs said it was feasible that if male and female redbacks escaped from grape shipments they could breed and offspring survive because they inhabited areas such as the Dakotas where the climate was much more extreme than in most of New Zealand.
Both redbacks were alive despite post-harvest fumigation in California and 21 days in a container at3 deg C.
Mr Downs said fumigating grapes again in New Zealand was not possible because the fruit would have to be between 15 and 20 deg C and would simply turn to mush being heated up to that level.
- NZPA
