Beyond the Grove: Climate-Driven Dispersal of Bactrocera oleae into Adjacent Forest Habitats in Mediterranean Landscapes

The olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) is a significant pest in olive cultivation areas, jeopardizing both productivity and quality. Conventional pest management has concentrated on grove perimeters, frequently neglecting the influence of surrounding non-agricultural ecosystems. As climate change escalates, resulting in heightened temperature extremes and modified ecosystem dynamics, comprehending the impact of these environmental conditions on pest behavior is essential. Agroecological methods, which emphasize ecological linkages across landscape types, offer promising insights for sustainable pest management. Mediterranean areas such as Lesvos Island, Greece, include mosaic landscapes of olive trees and neighbouring forests, creating a complex ecological matrix. This work investigates the dispersal of B. oleae outside its conventional agricultural environment into pine woods and examines how microclimatic variations in these regions may influence its mobility and survival, especially under the stress of elevated summer temperatures linked to climate change.