Ficus carica, France, dép. Lot, Faycelle © Sébastien Carbonnelle: two newly emerged females on a a fig.

gall

A fertilised female, loaded with pollen, penetrates an unripe fig via a narrow opening at the top. She oviposits in the female florets within the fig, that develop into a small, globular shining gall; crawling around within the fig she fertilizes many more florets than are galled. From the galls emerge females and apterous males that, after having fertilised a female remain in the fig. The young females leave the fig covered by pollen.

host plants

Moraceae, narrowly monophagous

Ficus carica.

synonyms

Blastophaga grossorum Gravenhorst, 1827.

inquilines

Philotrypesis caricae; Schistonchus caprifici

references

Cogolludo (1921a), Houard (1908a), Kjellberg & Valdeyron (1984a), Mifsud, Falzon, Malumphy ao (2012a), Tavares (1905a), Weiblen (2002a).