engleski

Olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) attraction to insect-associated yeasts

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi ; Diptera: Tephritidae) is economically the most important olive pest in the world, requiring use of pesticides for control in many olive groves. Nowadays, researches are focused to find new methods for B. oleae monitoring and controlling that will be more effective and less disruptive to the environment. Insect-associated yeasts could lead to new attractants for monitoring and controlling of specific pests. The aim of this research was to found out would olive fruit fly associated yeasts be more attractive to B. oleae than torula that is only one, commercially used yeast for olive fruit fly control. In 2015/2016 we selected and tested in the field some of yeasts that were attractive to B. oleae in laboratory assay. Selection of yeasts was made from more than 400 yeasts strains isolated from infested olives and olive fruit flies (larvae and adults) in our previous study. Field results showed that tested yeast strains ; namely Kuraishia capsulata, Lachancea thermotolerans, Peterozyma xylosa, Scheffersomyces ergatensis and Nakazawae ernobii, were 1.7 times more attractive to B. oleae as active liquid cultures in McPhail traps, than the industry-standard dried torula yeast (Cyberlindnera jadinii) was. Because of their attractiveness, we decided to investigate if inactive (dried) formulations of these five yeasts would be more effective than their active formulations or commercially used torula yeast. Dried formulations of K. capsulata, P. xylosa and N. ernobii were significantly more attractive to B. oleae compared to their liquid formulations or torula. All of these indicate that olive fruit fly associated yeasts have potential for use as more specific attractants for detection, monitoring, and control of B. oleae. This was the first investigation of this kind, so the obtained results have an important contribution to IPM and could also lead to improvement of IPM for controlling of other Tephritidae pests too.

IPM, Olive fruit fly, Plant protection

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