Family Agaonidae - Fig wasps

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Fig Wasp - Pleistodontes imperialis - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)

Superfamily Chalcidoidea (Chalcidoid Wasps)

Family Agaonidae (Fig wasps)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

probably polyphyletic group; Sycoecninae, Otitesellinae and Sycoryctinae may actually belong in the Pteromalidae(1); Sycophaginae have been transferred from Agaonidae to Pteromalidae (2)

Explanation of Names

Agaonidae Walker 1846

Numbers

13 spp. (mostly non-native) in 8 genera of 4 subfamilies in our area, >750 spp. in ~80 genera of 6 subfamilies worldwide(1)

Identification

Key to genera in (3)

Range

in our area, US only (none in Canada)(1)

Food

Figs

Life Cycle

Develop in galls inside the flower. Only females ever leave the flower. When all the flowers on one tree mature at the same time, neighboring trees mature at different rates. Males leaves their galls in a mature staminate flower and travel within the flower just far enough to find a female. The males of a generation emerge from pupal chambers synchronously and find a female before she emerges from her gall. The female then looks for escape and gets covered with pollen. The male chews an exit tunnel for her.(4)

Remarks

Symbiotic with fig trees. Each species of Ficus has 1-2 pollinator spp. that lay their eggs inside the syconium. Sycoecinae, Sycophaginae and Otitesellinae may be gall formers in the non-reproductive parts of the fig or parasitoids of gall-formers.

Internet References

figweb (extremely informative • videos)

Works Cited

1.	Universal Chalcidoidea Database

2.	From hell’s heart I stab at thee! A determined approach towards a monophyletic Pteromalidae and reclassification of Chalcidoid Burks, Mitroiu, Fusu, Heraty, Janšta, Heydon, Papilloud, Peters, Tselikh, Woolley, van Noort, Baur, Cruaud, Darling, Haas, et a. 2022. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 94: 13-88.

3.	Annotated Keys to the Genera of Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) Gary A. Gibson, James B. Woolley, John T. Huber. 1997. Canadian Government Publishing.

4.	Hidden Company that Trees Keep: Life from Treetops to Root Tips James B. Nardi. 2023. Princeton University Press.

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 11 February, 2007 - 10:15am
Additional contributions by Bbarnd, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, KenW, Edward Ruden, Marci Hess
Last updated 4 December, 2023 - 9:04pm

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