Population structure and colonization history of the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Abstract

The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the major pest of olives in most commercial olive-growing regions worldwide. The species is abundant in the Mediterranean basin and has been introduced recently into California and Mexico, creating problems for quarantine protection and international trade. Here, we use nuclear microsatellite markers and mitochondrial sequences to examine the history of olive fly range expansion and colonization. Sampled populations span the current distribution of the olive fly worldwide, including South and Central Africa, Pakistan, Mediterranean Europe and Middle East, California, and Mexico. The Pakistani populations appear to be genetically well differentiated from the remaining populations, though rooting the origins of the species is problematic. Genetic similarity and assignment tests cluster the remaining populations into two genetic groups--Africa and a group including the Mediterranean basin and the American region. That Africa, and not the Mediterranean, is the origin of flies infesting cultivated olive is supported by the significantly greater genetic diversity at microsatellite loci in Africa relative to the Mediterranean area. The results also indicate that the recent invasion of olive flies in the American region most likely originated from the Mediterranean area.

Analysis of olive fly invasion in California based on microsatellite markers

“…California n e , H o and H e values are intermediate between those observed in the West Med and the Central Med groups. Allelic richness in California is the lowest among all regions, which is in accordance with the hypothesis of a Mediterranean source of olive fly invasion in California (Nardi et al, 2005). Analysis of alleles gave one new allele in California, albeit at very low frequency.…”

“…The Mediterranean basin is presumably the source of the olive fly invasion in California (Nardi et al, 2005). To further specify the origin of this invasion, microsatellite polymorphism data of California samples were compared with the preexisting data set of Mediterranean samples (Augustinos et al, 2005).…”

“…Analyses of natural olive fly populations support the subdivision into three groups: Pakistan, Africa and Mediterranean plus America (Nardi et al, 2005), with the Mediterranean population further differentiated into eastern (Cypriot), central (Greek-Italian) and western (Iberian) groups (Augustinos et al, 2005). The fundamental aim of the present study was a precise determination of the geographical origin of the California invasion of the olive fly within the Mediterranean group.…”

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

“…The insect's historic range includes all of Europe and Africa, and extends at least as far east as India (Augustinos et al 2002;Nardi et al 2005). Molecular studies of B. oleae in California suggest that the invasion originated from Mediterranean populations.…”

Uso de semioquímicos en el control de plagas. Estudios básicos y de aplicación

“…It is endemic in the Mediterranean area but in recent decades it has invaded the olive growing areas in California and Mexico. It is also found in South and Central Africa, Pakistan and the Middle East (Daane and Johnson, 2010;Nardi et al, 2005). Females of the olive fruit fly are the only tephritid females known to produce a sex pheromone, with 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane (hereafter spiroacetal) as its major component (Baker et al, 1980;Jones et al, 1983;Haniotakis et al, 1994).…”