Following the pest outbreak: preliminary findings on the landscape effect on Dasineura oleae and its parasitoids in central Italy

Abstract Dasineura oleae (Angelini, 1831) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), the olive leaf gall midge, is a pest of crops that was not problematic in Italy until 2016 when massive infestation this reported small region central Italy. We identified infested orchards using farmers’ reports and quantified level parasitism rate each field. also explored effect landscape on both parasitoids abundance semi-natural habitats Shannon index, estimated at four different scales (250 m, 500 750 m 1000 buffers around sampling points). The results showed small-scale large-scale mediated by Index. Moreover, some preliminary high sites where plants associated with D. were present adjacent habitat. Further studies are needed to validate our findings vegetation natural enemies order develop new suppression strategies.