A new record of Bracon celer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly in Israel

Abstract

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most serious pest of cultivated olives. It is currently found wherever olives are grown, except Australia. Bracon celer Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is considered one such prospective parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. This is the only species in the genus Bracon known as parasitoid of the olive fruit fly. It originates from the Sub-Saharan Africa. The attempts to introduce it in southern Europe and USA were unsuccessful. In Israel B. celer was reared from olive fruits collected in November 2011 in Volcani Center, Bet Dagan. At present, we have no explanation of the possible ways by which B. celer arrived in Israel.

To cite: Kuslitzky, W. & Argov, Y. 2014 [2013]. A new record of Bracon celer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly in Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 43: 91–93.