Olive fruit fly

Definition

A species of tephritid fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (family Tephritidae, subfamily Dacinae), whose larvae are obligate feeders on the mesocarp of developing olive fruits (Olea europaea). Native to the Mediterranean basin and now invasive in California and other olive-growing regions, it is the most economically significant pest of olive cultivation worldwide, causing direct fruit damage, premature drop, and secondary fungal infections that degrade oil quality.

Etymology

From the host association with cultivated olive (Olea europaea) and the vernacular 'fruit fly' applied to tephritid species with frugivorous larvae.

Example

In integrated pest management programs for table olives, monitoring Bactrocera oleae populations with McPhail traps baited with ammonium salts allows growers to time bait sprays before females oviposit beneath the fruit epidermis.

Synonyms

• Bactrocera oleae

Related Terms

• Tephritidae
• Dacinae
• Frugivory
• phytophagous
• Integrated Pest Management
• olive cultivation
• economic entomology

Usage Notes

The common name 'olive fruit fly' is sometimes applied loosely to other olive-infesting tephritids, but in technical contexts it refers specifically to Bactrocera oleae. Contrast with the 'olive fly' (unrelated muscid) or the 'Mediterranean fruit fly' (Ceratitis capitata), which attacks many fruits but rarely olives. The specific epithet is correctly spelled oleae (two syllables: oh-LEE-ee), not 'olea'.