Agricultural and Forest Entomology (2014), 16, 14–23 DOI: 10.1111/afe.12030 Spatio-temporal analysis of the relationship between landscape structure and the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) Marta Ortega * and Susana Pascual † * Ecology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/ Jos´ e Antonio Novais n ◦ 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain and † Entomology Group, Plant Protection Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaci´ on y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Carretera de La Coru˜ na Km 7,5, 28040 Madrid, Spain Abstract 1 Landscape ecology studies on pest control have focused mainly on annual crops and natural enemies, whereas more studies measuring pest pressure on perennial crops are needed. 2 The relationships between the abundance and damage by Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) and different landscape indices were analyzed using data gathered by a regional network during 2009, 2010 and 2011 in Ja´ en, Spain. Eleven indices of landscape composition and configuration calculated at six different spatial scales (radii of 500, 600, 750, 1000, 1500 and 2000 m) were used in correlation analyses. 3 Significant correlations between abundance and some indices were observed primarily during Julian days 236–264 (24 August to 21 September) 2010. These correlations were negative with edge density, the Shannon landscape diversity index and the number of patches, and were positive with patch size standard deviation and mean patch size. 4 Linear mixed-effects models were used to identify the indices most strongly related to the abundance of olive flies. These indices were mean patch size, edge density at 500–750 m and the Shannon landscape diversity index, as well as the number of patches at 1000–2000 m. 5 These results suggest that greater landscape complexity may contribute to reduced numbers of B. oleae . More studies are needed to establish how to reduce olive fruit fly damage. Keywords Bactrocera oleae , edge density, landscape ecology, olive fruit fly, patch size, pest populations, Shannon diversity. Introduction Agricultural intensification has resulted in landscape simpli- fication, with losses of noncultivated areas and biodiversity (Bianchi et al., 2006). Chemical pest control is an aspect of this agricultural intensification that has additional negative environ- mental consequences. Environmentally friendly control mea- sures need to be found, and an increasing number of elements present in the ecosystem need to be identified to achieve nat- ural pest control. Conservation biological control is defined as the practice of increasing the efficacy of natural enemies by Correspondence: Susana Pascual. Tel.: +34 913476811; fax: +34 3572293; e-mail: pascual@inia.es modifying the environment or the pest control measures in use (Eilenberg et al., 2001). The environment includes not only the cultivated plot, but also the adjacent areas, such as edges, set aside plots or any type of natural vegetation next to the crop (Fiedler et al., 2008; Thomson & Hoffmann, 2010). The introduction of the landscape in pest management (as a terri- torial mosaic of patches with different uses, including the crop and the adjacent natural areas) follows recent trends in sustain- able pest control (Cumming & Spiesman, 2006; Goodell, 2009). Wild areas can provide natural enemies with food, refuge and alternative hosts/prey (Landis et al., 2000; Bianchi & Wackers, 2008; Fiedler et al., 2008; Isaacs et al., 2009; Thomson & Hoffmann, 2010). In this manner, these areas favour the pres- ence of parasitoids and predators that can disperse into the  2013 The Royal Entomological Society