The Lack of Pollinator Specificity in a Dioecious Fig Tree: Sympatric Fig-pollinating Wasps of Ficus septica in Southern Taiwan

Abstract

Although species specificity between fig trees and their pollinators has been considered a classic example of obligate mutualism, increasing exceptions to the one-to-one relationship suggest that multiple pollinator species per fig host species may be a pervasive phenomenon. Based on both mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite analyses, we found three putative pollinator species (Ceratosolen spp.) associated with Ficus spetica in southern Taiwan, two of which, that differ in color, routinely coexist within single figs. These three pollinators are substantially divergent from the pollinator of F. spetica in New Guinea, implying that wasp diversity may be highly underestimated when the one-to-one rule is assumed. Our findings not only provide the first case of coexistence of pollinators within single figs on a shared dioecious Ficus host, but also an ideal system to investigate interspecific competition and sex allocation, especially when coexisting pollinators are visually distinguishable by their colors. TABLE S1. The number of Ceratosolen bisulcatus jucundus, C. sp. 1 and C. sp. 2 used in mitochondrial COI gene sequencing and microsatellite genotyping for each sampling locality and their sampling seasons. TABLE S2. Characteristics of seven microsatellite loci for six locations in southern Taiwan of Ceratosolen bisulcatus jucundus and C. sp. 1. FIGURE S1. FCA of three pollinators of Ficus septica in Taiwan based on seven microsatellite loci. A total of 560 wasps are included: 401 individuals of Ceratosolen sp. 1, 158 C. bisulcatus jucundus and one C. sp. 2. Please note: Wiley-Blackwell is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting materials supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing material) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.