Bionomics of Olive Fruit Fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) [Diptera: Tephritidae] Infesting Ten Olive Cultivars in the Southern Highlands of West-Bank, Palestine

Abstract

Olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) is the most dangerous pest that affected olive trees (Olea europaea L.) in the Mediterranean basin including Palestine. This study was conducted in Al-Arroub Agricultural Experimental Station in Palestine during 2012-2013, to monitor the seasonal flight activity and population dynamics of the B. oleae using ten olive cultivars in the southern highlands of West-Bank. Throughout this research, it was clear that B. oleae had two annual peaks of flight activity, and those peaks were respectively recorded on August and October in 2012 season but on April and September in 2013 season. This research also confirmed that, significant differences in % of olive fruit fly infestation were recorded between the olive cultivars, and thus, olive cultivars with larger fruits were higher in susceptibility to B. oleae infestation rather than that with smaller fruits. In addition, present study proved that the phenomena of biennial yield alteration of olive is inversely related with fruit infestation, and the high fruit production in 2012 was accompanied with lower rate of infestation in comparison to high rate of infestation that recorded accompanied to the low fruit production yield in 2013.