Pollination and other biotic interactions in figs of Ficus eximia Schott (Moraceae)

Abstract

-(Pollination and other biotic interactions in figs of Ficus eximia Schott (Moraceae)). During the period from 1992 to 1997, interactions of several organisms and Ficus eximia figs, a monoecious species, were studied in plants located in Campinas/SP and Londrina/PR (Brazil). Ficus eximia is pollinated by a single fig wasp species, Pegoscapus sp. (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae, Agaoninae), but also visited by other 14 non-pollinating wasps (Agaonidae, Eurytomidae, Torymidae). Mites (Tarsonemidae), nematodes (Diplogasteridae) and fungi which use the body of the pollinating fig wasp to disperse themselves were also observed.RESUMO -(Polinização e outras interações bióticas em sicônios de Ficus eximia Schott (Moraceae)). Durante o período de 1992 a 1997, as interações de vários organismos e figos de Ficus eximia, uma espécie monóica, foram estudadas em plantas localizadas em Campinas/SP e Londrina/PR (Brasil). Ficus eximia é polinizada por uma única espécie de vespa de figo, Pegoscapus sp. (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae, Agaoninae), e associada a outras 14 espécies de vespas não-polinizadoras (Agaonidae, Eurytomidae, Torymidae). Ácaros (Tarsonemidae), nematóides (Diplogasteridae) e fungos, os quais utilizam o corpo da vespa polinizadora para se dispersarem, foram também observados.

Fig Wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) Associated to Ficus mexiae Standl (Moraceae) in Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…The type-material of the type series of most species of Heterandrium is from Blumenau County, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil (Boucek 1993). The species has also been reported on F. eximia Schott in areas of Campinas County, State of São Paulo and Londrina County, State of Paraná by Pereira et al (2000) and on F. clusiifolia Summerh, in the coastal forest of Três Praias, Guarapari County, State of Espírito Santo (Schiffler, unpublished). In this work, specimens from this genus were found in some F. mexiae syconia, thus increasing its distribution to Lavras, Minas Gerais.…”

“…This genus possesses eight well-known species in southern Brazil (Boucek 1993). Pereira et al (2000) reported it as occuring on F. eximia in Campinas and Londrina counties. It also occurs on F. clusiifolia in Guarapari County (Schiffler, unpublished).…”

“…Although species of this genus have never been formerly recorded in Brazil, it seems that it is relatively abundant, being found in Campinas, Londrina (Pereira et al 2000), Guarapari (Schiffler, in press), and now in Lavras.…”

Composition and structure of the fig wasp community in Amazonia

“…In comparison with studies in the southeast and centre-west of Brazil, it was found that the wasp fauna associated with Amazonian fig trees is more diverse. The wasp community in F. citrifolia in this study comprised 29 species, while in Mato Gross do Sul (Costa and Graciolli 2010), São Paulo and Londrina (Pereira et al 2000), 12 and 15 species were registered respectively. The same was confirmed for F. americana subspecies guianensis form mathewsii which here contained 22 species in comparison with those in the study by Conchou et al (2013) in French Guiana, with just six species.…”

Insects associated with syconia of Ficus citrifolia (Moraceae) in central Brazil

“…In the ovaries in which pollen was deposited, seed development occurs, while in the ovaries where the eggs were deposited larvae developed (Weiblen 2002). The fig syconia are also exploited by different groups of organisms that are non-pollinators, such as wasp species of the families Pteromalidae, Torymidae and Eurytomidae (Boucek 1993;Weiblen 2002), since they deposit their eggs from the outside, and other arthropods such as beetles and butterfly larvae, mites and drosophilid flies (Lachaise et al 1982;Bronstein 1988a;Frank & Thomas 1996;Pereira et al 2000;Schifler 2002;Sugiura & Yamazaki 2004).…”