Sneaky African fig wasps that oviposit through holes drilled by other species Stephen G. Compton Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, U.K. E-mail:
[email protected] Simon van Noort Natural History Collections Department, Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa, and Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701 E-mail:
[email protected] Michael McLeish* South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa E-mail:
[email protected] Mark Deeble Old Coastguards, Gurnards Head, Zennor, Cornwall, TR26 3DE, U.K. & Victoria Stone Old Coastguards, Gurnards Head, Zennor, Cornwall, TR26 3DE, U.K. (with 3 figures) Received 3 July 2009. Accepted 25 August 2009 Watshamiella Wiebes species (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Sycoryctinae) were observed to engage, monitor and subsequently use oviposition holes made by other parasitoid fig wasp genera (Apocrypta Coquerel and Sycoryctes Mayr) to oviposit into host figs (Moraceae, Ficus) through the fig wall. They may be inquilines, klepto-parasitoids, or hyper-parasitoids; however, further biological investigations of larval diet are required to establish their life history strategy. Watshamiella species are morphologically robust, with enlarged fore femora and tibia, and aggressively interact with other fig wasps and ants. Our observations contribute towards unravelling the complex suite of behavioural adaptations and interactions involved in the community ecology of the obligate mutualism that exists between fig wasps and their host figs. Key words: behaviour, biology, inquiline, parasitoid, ecology, Ficus, fig wasp, Sycoryctinae. CONTENTS Abstract· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 9 Observations on Ficus sycomorus 10 Acknowledgements · · · · · · · · · · · · 14 Introduction · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 9 Observations on F.