Fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) associated to Ficus mexiae standi (Moraceae) in Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The paucity of information on the fauna of the fig wasp in Brazil motivated the present research work, which intended to report the genera of Agaonidae that occur associated to syconia of Ficus mexiae Standl in this country. The study was conducted on one individual F. mexiae plant, located at the campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Lavras County, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Four different genera of Agaonidae, from three different subfamilies were found occurring inside the syconia. Three species from the genera Aepocerus, Heterandrium and Idarnes were non-pollinator wasps, while the other two were pollinating wasps of the genus Pegoscapus. The pollinator species were found co-occurring in many syconia of the same fig tree.