Comparison of body size and ovipositor length among fig wasps developing inside the figs of <i>Ficus hispida</i> L.

Abstract Fig wasps (pollinators and non-pollinators) develop in the same fig of a fig tree. This study was conducted to compare the body size and ovipositor length of the fig wasps developing inside the figs of a dioecious fig tree, Ficus hispida L. D-phase figs were sampled from F. hispida male trees grown naturally in Lam Kruet Village, Lhoknga, Aceh Besar. Upon emergence, fig wasps’ body size and ovipositor length were measured at the Biological Control Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Syiah Kuala University. The results showed that the pollinator Ceratosolen solmsi marchali accounted for 70.82% of all fig wasps in F. hispida. The non-pollinators: Apocrypta bakeri, Philotrypesis pilosa , and Philotrypesis sp. accounted for 13.47%, 11.47%, and 4.24%, respectively. The average body size of pollinators was 1.92 ± 0.01 mm, while the body sizes of non-pollinators ranged from 2.07 ± 0.01 mm to 2.09 ± 0.01 mm. The ovipositor length of pollinators was 0.84 ± 0.00 mm. The ovipositor length of non-pollinators was significantly longer than that of pollinators, with the average length of A. bakeri being 5.77 ± 0.03 mm, P. pilosa being 7.64 ± 0.07 mm, and Philotrypesis sp. being 7.48 ± 0.08 mm. The ovipositor length of non-pollinators was four times longer than their body size. The difference in ovipositor length was related to the different egg-laying methods. The female pollinators enter the fig through the ostiole and lay eggs directly into the female flowers. In contrast, non-pollinators lay their eggs by injecting their ovipositor through the fig wall.