Olive fruit fly

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) lays its eggs in the fruit of olive trees by making a puncture with the ovipositor into the skin of the olive.  The puncture is dark green to begin but changes to a yellowish-brown color as a result of the wound inflicted. Once the olive fruit fly larvae hatch, they dig a tunnel on the surface and later move deeper into the fruit, all the way to the core. The larvae feed on the fruit. The olive fruit fly is considered a serious pest in the cultivation of olives.

Damage

The oviposition of the females as well as the feeding of the larvae are responsible for the damage to olive fruits. Cuts in the olive skin from the ovipositor and the larval feeding on the olive flesh can cause olive fruits to dry out and fall from trees. In addition, the injury inflicted to the fruit allows the entrance of pathogenic organisms and particularly fungi. Infested olives completely lose their market value for table consumption and oil production.