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Olive Fruit Fly

 

Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) -- Diptera:  Tephritidae

 

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       Olive fruit fly is the major insect pest of olive crops in many parts of the world.   The fly has harmed olive production since biblical times.  The fly may be indigenous to southern Africa and then spread following the path of olive cultivation into the Middle East and southern Europe. In 1998, the fly was first reported from southern California where it had begun to spread widely.  It was probably introduced from the Mediterranean region by commerce.  Rapid spread occurred so that by the year 2002 the fly was found in most areas throughout California where olives are grown.  Widespread ornamental olive trees now also serve as hosts for the olive fly.

 

       This insect lays its eggs in all sizes of olives, but prefers large green ones.  Eggs are laid underneath the olive skin where they hatch in a few days in warm weather.  The larvae then feed on the fruit pulp during three larval stages and then pupates either within the fruit during early and mid-summer or on the ground in late summer and fall.  This fly only reproduces on olive fruit, but the adults may feed on other sources such as honeydew, pollen, etc

 

       Olive damage is caused by feeding behavior and egg-laying scars on the olives.  Small olives that are probed by the olive fruit fly’s ovipositor may fall from the tree thereby reducing total yield.  Larvae feeding within the olive will destroy its value as a table olive because these fruit may break apart during the curing.  Bacteria and yeasts after olive activity may also reduce olive

 

       Prior to the establishment of olive fruit fly in California, olive growers in the major production areas of California relied on natural enemies for control of pests.  But now the olive fruit fly treatments of an insecticidal bait.  Treatments are made on a bi-weekly schedule until the olives are harvested in September through November.  This has added significant costs to olive production.

 

REFERENCES:

 

Belcari. A. et al.  2011.  Controllo di Bactrocera oleae mediante l'impiego di prodotti a base di rame e presentazione di altri possibili metodi innovativi di lotta.  Dipartimento di Biotechnologie agrarie, sez.  Entomologia generale e applicata, Univ. di Firenze 2011.

 

Economopoulos, A. P.  1980.  Application of colour traps for Dacus oleae control; olive groves with different degrees of isolation, tree size and canopy density.  Integrated Control in Agriculture and Forestry, K. Russ and H. Berger (Eds) Proceedings of an IOBC / WPRS International Symposium, Vienna, 8–12 October 1979:  552–559.

 

El-Heneidy, A. H.; E. Omar,  H. El-Sherif.  &  M. A.  El-Khawas.  2001.  Survey and Seasonal Abundance of the Parasitoids of the Olive Fruit Fly, Bacterocera (Dacus) oleae Gmel. (Diptera: Trypetidae) in Egypt.  Arab J. Plant Protection 19 (2):

 

El-Khawas, M. A., A. H. El-Heneidy, H. Aziza, E. Omar & H. El-Sherif.  2000.  A recent record of parasitoids on common olive pests in Egypt. Scientific Note.  Egypt. J. Biol. Pest Cont. 10 (2):  137-138.

 

Johnson, Marshall.  2010.  Olive fruit fly:  Managing an ancient pest in modern times.  Ann. Rev. Entomol. 55 (1):  151-69.

 

Perri, Enzo; Nino Iannotta; Innocenzo Muzzalupo; Anna Russo; Maria Anna Caravita; Massimiliano Pellegrino; Attilio Parise & Paolo Tucci.  2005.  Kaolin protects olive fruits from Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) infestations unaffecting olive oil quality.  2nd European Meeting of the IOBC / WPRS Study group Integrated Protection of olive crops, Florence, 26–28 October 2005. 

 

Rice, Richard; Phil A. Phillips; Judy Stewart-Leslie  & G. Steven Sibbett.  2003.  Olive fruit fly populations measured in Central and Southern California.  California Agriculture. 57 (4):  122–127.

 

Saltini, Antonio.  1989.   Storia delle scienze agrarie. Volume 4:  256-259.

 

Schäfer, Bernd.   2007.   Naturstoffe in der chemischen Industrie, Spektrum.  Akademischer Verlag, 2007, pp. 522−524.

 

Economopoulos, A. P.  1979.  Attraction of Dacus oleae (Gmelin) (Diptera Tephritidae) to odour and colour traps.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie. 88 (1–5):  90–97.

 

Toscana, Idee.  2006.  Utilizzo di ECO-TRAP nel metodo della cattura massale per la lotta alla mosca olearia.  Novità fitoiatriche per la difesa delle "colture biologiche."  Siena, 16 marzo 2006. ARSIA Toscana, Agenzia Regionale per lo Sviluppo e l'Innovazione del settore Agricolo-forestale 2006.