The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)), although a pest of major economic importance for the olive industry, has not been sufficiently studied with respect to the factors affecting its survival resistance to food deprivation. In the present study, we examined the effect of the interaction between mating status (virgin/mated), age class (11-20/21-30/31-40/41-50), and diet quality (protein plus sugar or only sugar) on starvation resistance in B. oleae under constant laboratory conditions. We conducted a total of 16 treatments (2 × 4 × 2 = 16) for each gender. Our results showed that starvation resistance in B. oleae did not differ significantly between females and males. The main conclusions of our study regarding mating status, age, and diet indicated that mated adults showed much less starvation resistance compared to virgins, younger adults endured longer, and the adults fed a restricted diet endured longer than those fed a full diet. A three-way interaction between mating status, diet, and age class was also identified and was the same for both genders. The interaction between mating status, age class, and diet also had a significant influence on starvation resistance in both sexes.
Keywords: Bactrocera oleae; aging; food type; lifespan; olive fruit fly; pest management; stress; sustainability.