# Survival Analysis of Bactrocera oleae Starvation Resistance During Senescence: The Interactive Influence of Diet, Mating Status, and Sex

## TL;DR

This study shows how the olive fruit fly's ability to survive without food changes with age, diet, and mating status, revealing important insights for pest management.

## Contribution

The study reveals that starvation resistance in Bactrocera oleae is influenced by complex interactions between age, diet, and mating status.

## Key findings

- Younger flies (15 days old) are more resistant to starvation than older ones.
- Mated females show a significant decline in starvation resistance with age.
- Age effects on survival vary by sex and dietary conditions.

## Abstract

The survival of the olive fruit fly in environments where food is scarce is a critical factor for the spread and reproduction of this major olive cultivation pest. This study investigated how age, diet quality, and mating status affect the insect’s ability to withstand starvation. By examining thousands of adult insects, we found that young individuals aged 15 days are generally more resistant to food deprivation compared to older ones. However, this resistance does not depend on age alone; it is significantly influenced by sex, the type of food consumed, and whether the insect has mated. For example, in mated females, resistance decreases significantly as they grow older, whereas in certain categories of males, age plays a smaller role. The results show that the olive fruit fly manages its energy reserves by making trade-offs between its own survival and its reproductive efforts. Understanding these mechanisms is particularly valuable for researchers, modelers, and practitioners specialized in olive fruit fly management and population dynamics, as it helps in predicting insect populations and designing more effective and targeted methods for protecting olive production.

Starvation resistance is a critical fitness trait for the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), influencing survival and reproductive success in fluctuating environments. This study investigates how age (15, 30, and 45 days), diet (full vs. restricted), and mating status (virgin vs. mated) affect the species’ capacity to withstand food deprivation. A multifactorial experiment was conducted on 3600 adults, with survival data analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves, Log-Rank tests, and Tukey’s HSD. The findings indicate that 15-day-old individuals generally exhibit superior starvation resistance compared to older cohorts. However, these patterns vary by sex and nutritional history. In virgin males on a restricted diet, resistance does not decline linearly with age, while in mated males on a full diet, age has no significant influence on survival. Conversely, in mated females on a full diet, a significant decline in resistance is observed only between the ages of 15 and 45 days. Additionally, for mated adults on a restricted diet, age was found to have a significant influence on survival. These results suggest that starvation resistance in B. oleae is not merely a function of chronological age but emerges from complex resource allocation trade-offs between somatic maintenance and reproductive investment.