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Ficus caulocarpa 大葉赤榕

Ficus caulocarpa botanical taxonomic plate

Female Pollinator Fig Wasp of Ficus caulocarpa (Agaonidae) – Tawau, Borneo

Visible morphological features of a living pollinator fig wasp of Ficus caulocarpa

• Large compound eye
• Long antenna used to detect fig volatiles
• Transparent membranous wings
• Slender petiole-like waist
• Darkened gaster tip
• Long ovipositor abdomen region
• Long walking legs adapted for fig entry

Female pollinator fig wasp of Ficus caulocarpa
Family: Agaonidae
Location: Tawau, Sabah, Borneo

This female wasp emerged from a mature fig (syconium) and is responsible for pollinating the flowers inside the fig by transporting pollen from its natal fig to another receptive fig.

Photograph: eTawau Research Collection

Leave from Ficus caulocarpa 大葉赤榕

Comparison of fig fruits of F. tinctoria and F. caulocarpa
 

Ficus tinctoria 斜葉榕
Stranglers with Many Roots
Dioecious 雌雄異株
♀13mm

This is a Female fruit. The female flowers inside the fig develop into seed

Ficus caulocarpa 大葉赤榕
Strangler with Many Roots
Monoecious 雌雄同株
6.8mm

This Monoecious fruit inside have both Male and Female flowers.
The male gall flowers do not produce seed but serve as brood chambers for developing fig wasps.
The female flowers develop into seeds

Comparision of leave size of  F. caulocarpa and F. tinctoria

Ficus caulocarpa 14cm by 7cm
Ficus tinctoria 10cm by 5cm

Ficus caulocarpa's alternate, stalked leaves have thin leathery leaf blades that are 6-19 by 2-7.5 cm. The petioles are reddish brown when young.

A non pollinator of figs of Ficus caulocarpa. Species name unidenfied.

Body length 2.5mm

TAWAU SPORT COMPLEX 2023-01-12 THU

Ficus caulocarpa also host nonpollinating wasp (nonpollinating agaonid) such as above unidentified wasp
This is a pest wasp. In Ficus fruit development, they are NON-POLLINATORS (non-pollinating wasp).

Ficus caulocarpa 大葉赤榕
Strangler with Many Roots
Monoecious (bisexual)
at SPORT COMPLEX 2021-06-28 MON 15:25

Common large stranglers grow as very large independent trees.
 

Comparision of fig fruits between Ficus tinctoria and Ficus caulocarpa

Ficus tinctoria 斜葉榕 Dioecious 雌雄異株
Ficus caulocarpa 大葉赤榕 Monoecious 雌雄同株

Ficus caulocarpa figs size 0.3-0.5 cm
Ficus tinctoria ♀ figs size 1.0-1.3cm
 

Ficus tinctoria is a Dioecious 雌雄異株 tree which means Male and Female fig fruits are grown on separate trees. Male figs contain gall flowers which act as brood chambers for fig wasps plus pollen bearing anthers. Male figs do not contain seeds. Female figs contain female flowers which produce seeds. Female flowers never contain fig wasps.

Ficus caulocarpa is a Monoecious 雌雄同株 tree where Male and Female flowers are shearing the same fruit.

January 2023 Ficus caulocarpa in full fruiting at Tawau Sport Complex.

Flora of Borneo