Bug FAQOlive fruit fly
Bactrocera oleae · Order: Diptera · Family: Tephritidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adult olive fruit flies are tiny, about 4 to 5 mm long. They live around the Mediterranean, in South Africa, and have spread throughout California. Females lay eggs on olives in summer and infestations peak from September until cold, rainy weather.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
In Italy they can be told apart by a small dark spot at the wing tip and a long narrow anal cell.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 4 to 5 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is a serious pest for olive cultivation. Damage includes both reduced yields and poorer fruit quality.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Recent studies look at repellents like copper and kaolin for management.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species occurs throughout the Mediterranean basin, South Africa, and now the whole state of California.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult flies are glycogenic and mainly feed on honeydew.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The development cycle depends on climate and the condition of the olives. The pupal stage occurs inside an elliptical puparium formed by the last larval skin.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Infestation peaks from September until cold, rainy weather arrives. Females lay eggs in summer when olives are at least 7 to 8 mm wide.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Hawaii, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How does the olive fruit fly damage olives?
It reduces the amount of fruit harvested and lowers fruit quality.
Source: Wikipedia
When are olive fruit flies most active?
Infestations peak from September until cold, rainy weather, and females lay eggs in summer on growing olives.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I monitor olive fruit flies?
Attractants like hydrolysate proteins and ammonium salts are used in traps for monitoring.
Source: Wikipedia
What control methods are being studied?
Repellents such as copper and kaolin are being evaluated for managing the fly.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tephritidae)
Goldenrod Gall FlyEurosta solidaginis
Thistle Stem Gall FlyUrophora cardui
Goldenrod Brussels Sprout Gall FlyProcecidochares atra
Mediterranean Fruit FlyCeratitis capitataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Cotton-gall TephritidAciurina bigeloviae
Oriental Fruit FlyBactrocera dorsalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_fruit_fly
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.