Abstract
The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the major pest of cultivated olives (Olea europaea L.), and a serious threat in all of the Mediterranean Region. In the present investigation, we demonstrated with traction force experiments that B. oleae female adhesion is reduced by epicuticular waxes (EWs) fruit surface, and that the olive fruit fly shows a different ability to attach to the ripe olive surface of different cultivars of O. europaea (Arbequina, Carolea, Dolce Agogia, Frantoio, Kalamata, Leccino, Manzanilla, Picholine, Nostrale di Rigali, Pendolino and San Felice) in terms of friction force and adhesion, in relation with different mean values of olive surface wettability. Cryo-scanning morphological investigation revealed that the EW present on the olive surface of the different analyzed cultivars are represented by irregular platelets varying in the orientation, thus contributing to affect the surface microroughness and wettability in the different cultivars, and consequently the olive fruit fly attachment. Further investigations to elucidate the role of EW in olive varietal resistance to the olive fruit fly in relation to the olive developmental stage and environmental conditions could be relevant to develop control methods alternative to the use of harmful pesticides.
Highlights
The interaction between plants and their environment is mediated by a series of complex chemical and physical factors, among which epicuticular waxes (EWs), covering the surface of most plant organs, have a fundamental functional role [1,2]
B. oleae is a key pest in the olive crop, some O. europaea cultivars are less susceptible to B. oleae adult females [14,15,16,17]
Empodium consisting of a pretarsus, long-tapered hair located in the dorsally claws, and two ventrally situated (Figure basalsituated region ofand the ventrally pretarsus curved (Figure 2a)
Summary
The interaction between plants and their environment is mediated by a series of complex chemical and physical factors, among which epicuticular waxes (EWs), covering the surface of most plant organs, have a fundamental functional role [1,2]. The fly family Tephritidae contains nearly 4500 known species, including some of the world’s most significant agricultural insect pests, among which the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae). This fly is the major pest of commercial olives worldwide, and represents a major pest in the Mediterranean basin (see reviews in [13,14]). Different studies reported that olives lacking the usual waxy coverage were more susceptible to olive fruit fly attack than normal olives [18,19]
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