Effects of climatic changes on olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) population dynamic with respect to the efficacy of its larval parasitoid in Egyptian olive trees

Abstract

Abstract Background The potential effects of two parameters of climatic change conditions (temperature and relative humidity) on the population dynamics of the olive fly across the two ecological areas in Egypt were studied. The olive trees in El-Behera Governorate are more affected by the olive fly compared to the olive trees in the orchard of El-Fayoum Governorate. In this study, the character of climate change in influencing the dynamics of insect population and associated parasites was discussed at the regional level. Results The results exhibited that the olive trees in the coast governorate were more susceptible to the olive fly than the inner governorate. The parasitism percentage was recorded 41.7 and 46.4% at the beginning of the seasons 2016 and 2017, respectively in El-Fayoum Governorate. In El-Behera Governorate, the maximum parasitism percentage was recorded 49.5% (2016 season), while the 2017 season, the parasitism percentage was recorded 50.4%. The majority of the ordinary parasite was Psyttalia concolor in the two regions. Conclusion The study clarifies that there is a positive correlation between B. oleae abundance and the effects of temperature and its parasitoid, Psyttalia concolor. Further, there is no significance found between the olive fly and relative humidity and its parasitoid populations.