Pleistodontes froggatti ♀️

 

Pleistodontes froggatti is a small Agaonid fig wasp that acts as the specific pollinator for the Moreton Bay Fig, Ficus macrophylla, native to eastern Australia. These tiny wasps are vital for the tree's reproduction, developing inside the figs and dispersing pollen. They have successfully established outside Australia in New Zealand and Hawaii, often spreading rapidly. P. froggatti has an obligate mutualism with Ficus macrophylla. The wasp cannot reproduce without the fig, and the fig cannot produce seeds without the wasp. Adult female wasps are tasked with finding a receptive fig to lay eggs. She crawls through a tiny, narrow opening (the ostiole), often losing her wings and antennae in the process due to the tight squeeze. Inside, she pollinates the flowers while laying eggs. Male wasps are flightless and spend their entire lives inside the fig. They hatch first, find the galls containing females, mate with them, and then dig tunnels to allow the females to escape before dying. Adult females typically live only 2–3 days, just enough time to pollinate and lay eggs. Native to southeast Queensland, eastern New South Wales, and Lord Howe Island. It was introduced to Hawaii in 1921 and was first recorded in New Zealand in 1993, likely dispersing over 3,000 km by air currents. Their presence in New Zealand and Hawaii has led to the prolific production of fruit and seeds from the ornamental Moreton Bay Fig trees, which were previously introduced but couldn't reproduce effectively without their pollinator.