During the preoviposition period the female is maturing the ovary and a first set of eggs. Beginning in June females actively seek and oviposit in early maturing olive fruits. From 10 to 12 eggs may be laid daily, usually one per olive fruit, and about 200 to 250 are laid in a lifetime. The female punctures the fruit with the ovipositor and deposits an egg beneath the skin. Duration of the life cycle varies from one to six or seven months.
Male flies produce an auditory stridulatory sound or signal during courtship.
Courtship and mating occur at dusk, near the end of the daylight period. Male flies also produce this compound, and attract males, but females are not attracted to the compound from either sex. Feral females likely mate several times during their lifetime. Identification Immature stages are similar in appearance to those of other tephritid fruit flies, especially Bactrocera spp. Phillips gives a detailed, illustrated description of the larva.