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Parasitoid Fig Wasp Found newly hatched inside the Septic Fig (Ficus septica) that I opened. A very tiny, 4mm wasp with more than half of its body its ovipositor which is used to drill the eggs into the fig fruit from the surface. This is not the beneficial pollinating fig wasp as it does not enter fig fruits to pollinate the flowers. A Pteromalidae species, a parasitoid which lay eggs on other fig wasp inside the fruit. Fig pollination is very complex as it needs tiny fig wasps to pollinate it but there also many fig wasps that do not pollinate and are parasites instead. Geotagged,Malaysia,Summer Click/tap to enlarge

Parasitoid Fig Wasp

Found newly hatched inside the Septic Fig (Ficus septica) that I opened. A very tiny, 4mm wasp with more than half of its body its ovipositor which is used to drill the eggs into the fig fruit from the surface. This is not the beneficial pollinating fig wasp as it does not enter fig fruits to pollinate the flowers. A Pteromalidae species, a parasitoid which lay eggs on other fig wasp inside the fruit. Fig pollination is very complex as it needs tiny fig wasps to pollinate it but there also many fig wasps that do not pollinate and are parasites instead.

    comments (1)

  1. This is the fig species this wasp is associated with:
    Septic Fig male flowers Male flowers exposed inside the fruit. This species is common across Asia. It is called "septic" for its poisonous and corrosive latex which protects it from most herbivores. Fruits remain green when ripe. Fruits are mostly eaten and dispersed by fruit bats.<br />
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Borneo has around 150 native fig species and I have documented one third of it with 1StopBorneo Wildlife expeditions. I enjoy documenting figs as they are unique. Their flowers grow inside the fruits and can only be pollinated by specialized fig wasps which enters and breed inside the fruits. Ficus septica,Geotagged,Malaysia,Summer,ficus septica
    Posted 4 years ago

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By _ChunXingWong_

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Uploaded Oct 29, 2020. Captured Jul 10, 2020 00:25 in Jalan Penangah, Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysia.
  • Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
  • f/5.0
  • 1/64s
  • ISO100
  • 25.414mm