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Interactions between pollinator and non‐pollinator fig wasps: correlations between their numbers can be misleading
Author(s) -
Raja Shazia,
Suleman Nazia,
Quinnell Rupert J.,
Compton Stephen G.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
entomological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1479-8298
pISSN - 1343-8786
DOI - 10.1111/ens.12100
Subject(s) - pollinator , biology , ecology , zoology , pollination , pollen
F icus and their species–specific pollinator fig wasps represent an obligate plant–insect mutualism, but figs also support a community of non‐pollinating fig wasps ( NPFW s) that consist of phytophages and parasitoids or inquilines. We studied interactions between K radibia tentacularis , the pollinator of a dioecious fig tree species F icus montana , and an undescribed NPFW S ycoscapter sp. Members of S ycoscapter sp. oviposited 2–4 weeks after pollinator oviposition, when host larvae were present in the figs. No negative correlation was found between the numbers of the two wasp species emerging from figs in a semi‐natural population. However, in experiments where the numbers of pollinator foundresses entering a fig were controlled, S ycoscapter sp. significantly reduced the numbers of pollinator offspring. Consequently, it can be concluded that S ycoscapter sp. is a parasitoid of K . tentacularis (which may also feed on plant tissue). S ycoscapter females concentrate their oviposition in figs that contain more potential hosts, rendering invalid conclusions based on simple correlations of host and natural enemy numbers.