Understanding the seasonal and reproductive biology of olive fruit fly is critical to its management

The olive fruit fly was first detected in Los Angeles in 1998 and in all the olive-growing regions of California soon after. Following its initial detection, UC researchers and Cooperative Extension farm advisors, county agricultural commissioners and the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Detection and Emergency Project established a statewide monitoring program to determine the extent of the olive fruit fly’s occurrence, track its seasonal biology and evaluate monitoring tools. Fly populations and infestations can reach high levels throughout California but tend to be lower in the San Joaquin Valley. Trap captures typically exhibit a bimodal distribution with peaks in the spring and fall. Olive infestation is related to fly densities, climate and fruit size. Gravid, mated females vary in density throughout the year but are present at some level year-round. The data is being used to develop models that will better predict when the adults are active and olives are at risk

First records of pollinators of two co-occurring Mediterranean Apocynaceae.

This article presents results of a field survey of pollinators of two Apocynaceae, Periploca laevigata subsp. angustifolia (Labill.)Markgraf (Periplocoideae) and Caralluma europaea (Guss.) N.E.Br. Asclepiadoideae) co-occurring on Lampedusa Island, Mediterranean sea. Fifteen species within nine families of Diptera have been identified as pollinators of the two plants. The families involved are Tephritidae, Milichiidae, Trixoscelididae, cathophagidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Rhinophoridae. Families of Muscidae and Sarcophagidae are the more represented, respectively with four and three species. P. laevigata subsp. angustifolia seems to have a broader spectrum of pollinators, with 12 species of Diptera involved, while C. europaea has 8 species of Diptera as pollinators. Five species of Diptera are shared between the two plant species. The presented data are the first records of pollinators for P. laevigata subsp. angustifolia and C. europaea and confirm that both taxa are fly pollinated, though they do not conform exactly to the sapromyiophilous syndrome. The number of pollinators identified indicated that the morphological and functional floral specialization of the two taxa cover a wide number of pollinators with a similar biology

Milichiella lacteipennis: new record for Lampedusa island (Italy)

The authors report the first record of Milichiella lacteipennis (Loew) (Diptera Milichiidae) in Lampedusa Island (Italy), and give information on its distribution and biology