Crops Affected: Olives

States Affected: CA, AZ, NM, TX, SC, GA, FL, LA, MS, AL

Life Cycle: The female uses her serrated ovipositor to carefully make an incision in developing olives and deposits her eggs inside. After two to three days, the eggs hatch, and the larvae emerge, starting to consume the flesh of the olive. This larval stage continues for approximately 20 days. Pupation can take place either within the olive fruit itself or in the soil. In winter months, pupation in the soil is more common, and this stage can last up to six months. Adults do not feed on olives. Instead, they sustain themselves on nutrient-rich substances like honeydew and bird droppings. Up to six generations of these insects can occur in a single year.

Damage: Damaged fruit may dry out and drop from tree. Damaged fruit that is harvested loses value for table or oil production.

Season to Trap: March through harvest

How To Use: Hang trap with attached lure in the affected trees or at the perimeter of at-risk groups of trees. Replace lures every 60 days through the season, and replace traps when 70% saturated. Adults are attracted to the combination of scent and pheromones in the lure and the color of the traps in this kit. Once they land on the sticky trap, they become ensnared, never to mate or lay eggs again.

Additional IPM Solutions: Avoid practices that destroy or disrupt native beneficial insects. Good field sanitation practices will help to reduce the population. Kaolin clay can prevent females from depositing eggs in the olive skin.