DACUSNEX® COMBI

Specific attractants for the male and female species
of the olive fruit fly Dacus (Bactrocera) oleae

Common name: Olive fruit fly
Scientific name: Bactrocera oleae
Order: Diptera
Affects: Olive tree
Main season: Spring, Summer and Autumn

Dacus (Bactrocera) oleae

General information

This species is related to plants of the Olea genus and specifically to the olive tree. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Basin, South Africa, Canary Islands, India and Western Asia. In the Western hemisphere, it is only found in California. It is considered to be the most important pest of olive trees in the regions where it is present, even conditioning the quantity and quality of the majority of crops.

olive tree

Its attacks tend to increase in wetter and colder areas, with great variability according to the variety of olives cultivated. It is less noticeable in areas with dry and hot summers.

Morphology and biology

The adult insect is a reddish-grey or orange colour which is highlighted by black spots.

It has transparent, iridescent wings and the lower part of its thorax is yellow. Its eggs are long and white. The larva is maggot-like and white. The pupa is long and has a yellowish colour. When it grows, its colour darkens.

adult insect of Dacus (Bactrocera) oleae

On average, two to three generations can be observed every year, depending on the climatic conditions. They usually overwinter in pupal stage which is located underground at little depth.

The adults of the first generation appear in March or April. They spend some time feeding on sugary substances, such as the honeydew from some Homoptera, until they reach sexual maturity and begin to lay eggs. The female lays the eggs underneath the skin of the chosen olive. The olive should have an appropriate level of maturity and must not be occupied by another egg. It is common for this insect to lay only one egg per olive.

After hatching, the larva feeds on the olive by excavating a small and torturous gallery. Once the larva has finished growing, it pupates inside the fruit near the skin.

Flight activity of the olive fruit fly reaches its highest peaks in July and October. However, there is a greater increase in flight activity during October.

Damages

There are two types of damage caused by the olive fruit fly: quantitative and qualitative.

Regarding quantitative damages, they are caused by second stage larvae and especially third stage larvae. They consume an important amount of the olive’s pulp which, as a consequence, reduces the oil quality. Part of the production is lost because the olives that have been attacked fall prematurely from the tree. In olives used to produce oil, damage caused by the egg laying and the first stage larvae do not have significant economic impact. However, for table olives, the egg laying depreciates the value of the product.

Third stage larva

Third stage larva
© Giancarlo Dess

olive with a fresh Bactrocera oleae bite

Olive with a fresh
of Dacus (Bactrocera) oleae

Exit holes created by the fly

Exit holes created by the fly
© Giancarlo Dess

Regarding qualitative damage, the olives with a high percentage of this pest produce oil of the worst quality, particularly if they are third stage larvae. The oil extracted from these olives can have a level of acidity (expressed in oleic acid) from 2 to 10% depending on the percentage of infestation. It is also less possible to preserve these oils because they contain a higher percentage of Peroxide.

Due to the attacks from this fly, secondary qualitative damages also occur. The remains that the larva leaves inside the fruit creates fungi that deteriorate the quality of the oil extracted. This secondary damage in quality is more obvious in oils extracted from olives that have been attacked, then picked from the ground or that they may also have been stored for many days before being ground in the olive press.

DACUSNEX® COMBI

DACUSNEX® COMBI, product authorised for use in organic farming, is a combination of 2 attractants: a food attractant and a pheromone attractant of Bactrocera oleae. It is used to attract males and females of the olive fruit fly.

The diffuser is a blister pack which is individually packaged in an aluminium sachet with labelled specifications. It lasts for 90 days under normal field conditions.

Once removed from its packaging, the diffuser needs no activation or opening, just placed it correctly in the trap.

Necessary material

DACUSNEX® COMBI is used with an ECONEX YELLOW CHROMATIC 40 X 25 CM, so the flies attracted by the diffuser are caught on the surface of the trap.

Once the trap has been installed in the olive tree, hang the DACUSNEX® COMBI 90 DAYS diffuser from one of the holes on the trap. Use the hanger provided with the product. Do not place the metallic part in contact with the adhesive.

logo inter eco

Difusor una unidad

DACUSNEX® COMBI 90 DAYS 1 UNIT
Packaging, hanger and front and back view of the diffuser of attractants.

Code: UIPHOVA253
OMDF register number (Ministry of Agriculture of Spain): 087/2015

embalaje 20 unidades

DACUSNEX® COMBI 90 DAYS
20 UNITS
Packaging, hanger and front and back view of the diffuser of attractants.

Code: UIPHOVA334
OMDF register number (Ministry of Agriculture of Spain): 087/2015

Cromática amarilla

ECONEX YELLOW CHROMATIC 40x25 CM 1 UNIT PACK
Adhesive chromatic trap consisting of a light-resistant polyethylene yellow sheet of 1,000 cm2 (40 x 25 cm), with a 2x2 cm grid printed in black, on both sides.

Code: UIPFETA125
OMDF register number (Ministry of Agriculture of Spain): 104/2014

Storing the diffusers

The diffusers must be stored in their original packaging in a cool and dry place and separated from food and drinks.

To preserve the diffusers for long periods of time, it is recommended to keep them in the refrigerator at 4 o C in which case they will last for 2 years. Or they can be kept in the freezer at -20 o C for 4 years.

Detection and monitoring

1 to 2 traps per hectare should be placed depending on the location and homogeneity of the plots.

The traps should be installed on the south side of the olive trees at a height of 1.5 to 2 metres and 3 months before harvesting.

Mass trapping

10 to 20 traps per hectare should be placed depending on the location and homogeneity of the plots. One trap controls an area of 500 to 1.000 m2.

The traps should be installed as soon as you have captures and 3 months before harvesting. The traps should be placed on the south side of the olive trees at a height of 1.5 to 2 metres.

On the borders of the plots, it will be necessary to set a barrier of traps separated 10 to 15 metres apart from each other.

Period of use

To obtain good control of the olive fruit fly it is advisable to combine the two methods: detection and monitoring; and mass trapping.

At the beginning of summer, 1 trap per hectare should be placed for the detection of the pest in order to control its population levels. Through tolerance thresholds established in each area, the moment to adopt control measures is later defined, in this case mass trapping.

trap installed in an olive tree

The tolerance threshold for Bactrocera oleae is very low and depends on the area. In general, captures per trap and per day are between 1 and 5.

Packaging diffusers


DACUSNEX® COMBI 90 DAYS 1 UNIT PACK

Corrugated cardboard box of 400 units (80 packs of 5 units)
Box size: 0.60 x 0.40 x 0.35 m (length x width x height)
Box weight: 12 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 20
Pallet size: 1.20x0.80x1.95 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 250 kg.

Pack of 5 units

Pack of 5 units.
Includes a product
information leaflet

Box of 400 units.

Box of 400 units.
(80 packs x 5 units each)


DACUSNEX® COMBI 90 DAYS 20 UNITS PACK

Corrugated cardboard box of 400 units (20 packs of 20 units).
Box size: 0.60x0.40x0.35 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 11 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 20
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80x 1.95 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 230 kg.

envase de 5 unidades

Pack of 20 units.

Caja con 400 unidades

Box of 400 units.
(20 packs x 20 units each)
Includes a product information
leaflet

Packaging traps


ECONEX YELLOW CHROMATIC 40 X 25 CM

Corrugated cardboard box of 250 units.
Box size: 0.42 x 0.29 x 0.21 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 16 kg.
Number of boxes per pallet: 50
Pallet size: 1.10 x 1.00 x 1.25 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 810 kg.

Caja con 500 unidades

Box of 250 units.

Recommended information:


DACUSNEX© COMBI LEAFLET

Leaflet in PDF format that can be downloaded by clicking on the image.

DACUSNEX© COMBI Leaflet

ECONEX LEARNING CENTER

ECONEX puts at your disposal the first open knowledge center that brings together everything necessary to implement pest biocontrol in your crops. We have developed different types of resources to share with you the knowledge we have acquired during our more than 38 years of experience. Each of them is designed to respond, in the best possible way, to different questions related to pheromones, attractants, repellents and insect traps.

To access ECONEX LEARNING CENTER click on the image.

ECONEX web resources