Systematic studies on fig moraceae ficus and fig associated wasps hymenoptera chalcidoidea of wayanad region of western ghats

Abstract

This study investigates the genus Ficus, a keystone plant, and its associated fig waspspecies to enhance our understanding of plant-animal interactions. Conducted in theWayanad region, the research identifies 24 species of Ficus, providing a taxonomic keyfor their identification. Additionally, it reports 66 species of fig wasps associated with 13Ficus species, accompanied by taxonomic keys. Notably, eight Ficus species are newlyrecorded for the Wayanad district. The study introduces two new genera,Ornatopedicellum gen. nov. and Rahimaniella gen. nov., within the familyEpichrysomalidae, and describes 22 new fig wasp species, including Neosycophilatinctoria sp. nov., Ornatapedicelum virens sp. nov., Rahimaniella drupacea sp. nov.,Sycobiomorphella religiosa sp. nov., Sycophila drupacea sp. nov., Sycophila mysurensissp. nov., Sycophila arnottiana sp. nov., Sycophila religiosa sp. nov., Sycophila virens sp.nov., Sycophila infectoria sp. nov., Sycophila wayanadensis sp. nov., Sycophila batherisp. nov., Sycophila tinctoria sp. nov., Sycophila gibbosa sp. nov., Micranisa microcarpaesp. nov., Otitesella virens sp. nov., Walkerella talboti Shilpa & Santhosh, Apocryptamicrocarpae sp. nov., Philotrypesis virens sp. nov., Philotrypesis talboti sp. nov.,Sycoscapter racemosa sp. nov. and Sycoscapter tsjahela sp. nov. Moreover, the generaNeosycophila and Odontofroggatia are newly reported for India. The study also recordssix fig wasp species as new to Kerala. Additionally, the distribution of 1415 individualFicus trees across 16 species within the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is documented, withFicus talbotii being the most abundant. The research further notes 631 strangling Ficustrees associated with approximately 50 different tree species. This comprehensive surveycontributes significantly to the taxonomy and ecological understanding of Ficus and itsfig wasp associates in the region.