fig wasp
Fig wasps are wasps of the superfamily Chalcidoidea which spend their larval stage inside figs. Most are pollinators but others simply feed off the plant. The non-pollinators belong to several groups within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, while the ...
Ficus macrophylla
''Ficus macrophylla'', commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New So ...
'', the species it pollinates. Outside of Australia, populations have become established in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
(where it was deliberately introduced)Starr F, Starr K, and Loope L ''Ficus macrophylla - Moreton bay fig - Moraceae'' United States Geological Survey--Biological Resources Division Haleakala Field Station, Maui, Hawai'i, 2003. and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
where it was either accidentally introduced or arrived by long-distance dispersal.
Description
''Pleistodontes froggatti'' is a small wasp. Females are long with black, brown and reddish brown bodies. Males are in length, with yellow and orange bodies.
Taxonomy
The specific epithet, ''froggatti'', is in honour of Australian entomologist W. W. Froggatt. The first account of the species' biology was written by Froggatt in 1901, who imperfectly identified it as ''
Pleistodontes imperialis
''Pleistodontes '' is a genus of fig wasps native to Australia and New Guinea, with one species (''P. claviger'') from Java. Fig wasps have an obligate mutualism with the fig species they pollinate. ''Pleistodontes '' pollinates species in s ...
''.
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
entomologist
Gustav Mayr
Gustav L. Mayr (12 October 1830 – 14 July 1908) was an Austrian entomologist and professor in Budapest and Vienna. He specialised in Hymenoptera, being particularly known for his studies of ants.mutualism with
fig wasp
Fig wasps are wasps of the superfamily Chalcidoidea which spend their larval stage inside figs. Most are pollinators but others simply feed off the plant. The non-pollinators belong to several groups within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, while the ...
s, (Agaonidae); figs are only pollinated by fig wasps, and fig wasps can only reproduce in fig flowers. ''Pleistodontes froggatti'' can only reproduce in the syconia of its host species, the Moreton Bay Fig, ''Ficus macrophylla''.
Distribution
''Ficus macrophylla'' is native to southeast
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, eastern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...
, and has been planted widely across the world. ''Pleistodontes froggatti'' has been found across most of the range of its host tree in Australia. It also occurs in New Zealand and Hawaii.
The
Maui Pineapple Company
Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (ML&P, ) is a land holding and operating company founded in 1909 and based in Kapalua, Hawaii, United States. It owns approximately on the island of Maui. It develops, sells, and manages residential, resort, c ...
introduced ''F. macrophylla'' to its lands in the 1920s. ''P. froggatti'' was introduced to Hawaii in 1921 and has been recorded from the islands of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
Oahu
Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...
and Molokai. It is also presumed present on Maui, given that ''F. macrophylla'' is naturalised on the island. It has also been collected in the Midway Atoll.
''Pleistodontes froggatti'' was first recorded in New Zealand in 1993, a journey from its nearest range in Australia. Adult female wasps usually live 2–3 days; there are, on average, 21 days over the course of a year during which it would be possible for make the trip in 1–3 days on air currents. In addition, a female wasp could hitch a ride on an aircraft. After establishing in New Zealand, ''P. froggatti'' spread rapidly, making use of widely planted populations of Moreton Bay figs. The arrival of the wasp led to prolific production of fruits containing many small seeds adapted for dispersal by birds.