Effects of climatic changes on olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) population dynamic and its damages in olive orchards in Iran

The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae Rossi (Dip.: Tephritidae) is one of the most economically damaging pests of olives worldwide. The present study was conducted in Qazvin Province (Ghooshchi and Siahpoosh), Iran, between 2014 and 2016 to investigate seasonal fluctuations and the population's bio-ecology characteristics of B. oleae using sex pheromone traps and McPhail traps. Fruit sampling was also carried out to reveal pest development and the fruit infestation rate. The results showed that adult insects are active throughout the year, and their density varies depending on the weather conditions. In the areas where the study was conducted, there are three to four overlapping pest generations per year. In late spring and early summer, the oviposition of female insects on the fruits coincides with the hardening of the olive pit. Immature stages of the pest were observed in late May at different dates, indicating the beginning of the first generation of olive fruit flies. The second generation starts from late August to late September, and the third generation begins in early October. The population density and economic damage of the pest varied over the three years, depending on temperature, relative humidity, and orchard management. Cyrtoptyx latipes parasitized pest larvae at a maximum percentage of 2.16, which was very low.