''Sycophaga'' is a mainly

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

gall wasp genus of the superfamily

Chalcidoidea Chalcid wasps (, , for their metallic colour) are insects within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, part of the order Hymenoptera. The superfamily contains some 22,500 known species, and an estimated total diversity of more than 500,000 species, me ...

that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with '' Ceratosolen'' wasps. They enter the fig during the receptive phase of development, and oviposit inside the short-style flowers. This induces the growth of endosperm tissue and the enlargement and ripening of the

syconium Syconium (plural ''syconia'') is the type of inflorescence borne by figs (genus ''Ficus''), formed by an enlarged, fleshy, hollow receptacle with multiple ovaries on the inside surface. In essence, it is really a fleshy stem with a number of flow ...

which holds the wasp-bearing drupelets, without pollination taking place.

Species

The described species include: * '' Sycophaga afflicta'' Grandi, 1916 * '' Sycophaga callani'' Grandi, 1955 * ''

Sycophaga cyclostigma ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Waterston, 1916 * ''

Sycophaga depressa ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Risbec, 1956 * ''

Sycophaga gigantea ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Grandi, 1916 * ''

Sycophaga gigas ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Mayr, 1906 * ''

Sycophaga insularis ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Grandi, 1916 * ''

Sycophaga silvestrii ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Grandi, 1916 * ''

Sycophaga sycomori ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Ce ...

'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''

Sycophaga tenebrosa ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Grandi, 1917 * ''

Sycophaga valentinae ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Grandi, 1952 * ''

Sycophaga vicina ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Cerat ...

'' Mayr, 1906 * ''

Sycophaga viduata ''Sycophaga'' is a mainly Afrotropical gall wasp genus of the superfamily Chalcidoidea that live on the section ''Sycomorus'' of the monoecious fig subgenus, ''Sycomorus'', and one of several fig wasp genera to exploit its mutualism with ''Ce ...

'' Grandi, 1916

References

External links

Hymenoptera genera Agaonidae {{Chalcidoidea-stub