Interspecies Interactions of Fig Wasp Species and Their Association with the Fig Tree Ficus schwarzii Koord.

Abstract

The interspecies interactions of fig wasps found in Ficus schwarzii Koord., including the influences of the fig diameter, the number of florets, and the wall thickness and focusing on the pollinator species were documented[SC1] . The total number of individuals of the three non-pollinator species (Apocryptophagus sp., Philotrypesis sp., Apocrypta sp.) showed a significant negative correlation with the number of pollinators (Ceratosolen vetustus). The results from a path analysis indicated that Apocryptophagus sp. was an important non-pollinator species that competed for the same niche as the pollinator. The Philotrypesis sp. acted as a parasitoid of the pollinator, whereas Apocrypta sp. was considered to be a generalist for host selection. From the path model, an increase of pollinator numbers generally resulted from a bigger size of fig [SC2] and the more plentiful florets that also favoured the pollinators. The wall thickness had a negative effect on the population numbers of the pollinators.