6-sycamore fig tree Flashcards
- where is it located?
- how many figs are produced?
- why are fig wasps crucial?
- tropical africa
- 100,000
- to pollinate tree for reproduction
what attracts F fig wasps to the tree and what do they do at this point
- perfume of microscopic flowers
- enter fig
- pollinate microscopic flowers
- lay eggs in figs
what happens when F fig wasps pollinate the microscopic flowers?
some become seeds and others a nursery for wasps
how do grey hornbills interact with the tree? (3)
- nest inside hollow trunk
- after rains is flood of insects to feed on
- chick with highest survival chance eats first taking most food at cost of other chicks
give a grazing threat to the tree
giraffes eat leaves and figs + if too many tree will abort figs
- how does the tree counter animals eating its leaves and figs?
- how do fig longhorn beetles respond
- how do katydids respond?
- how do bees use this?
a foul tasting latex is produced
- eat leaves to stop latex flow
- cut off leaves to stop flow
- bees collect latex rubber for nest
what are parasitic wasps and what do they do? (2)
- attack figs + deposit eggs with long ovipositor
- eggs hatch inside fig to kill other wasps
what do wasps smaller than parasitic wasps do?
parasitise these wasps
what do nematodes inside wasps do?
eat F fig wasps alive
how may parasitic wasps die?
if no M fig wasps survive in fig as parasitic wasps need them for their escape
how do ants act as a potential ally to the tree?
- bite, sting + kill parasites
- look after hilda nymphs
- nymphs access sap from figs + as they do this ants gain some honeydew
what is an issue with ants as an ally?
they also eat emerging fig wasps that the tree needs as cant distinguish between fig and parasitic wasps
give 5 stages about what M fig wasps do
- hatch inside fig + cut through galls of F
- impregnate F before she has hatched
- cut anther of flowers inside fig
- dig out tunnel in fig to release F from fig but die
- F covered in pollen they have collected follow tunnel to escape and complete their mission
give 3 risks to emerging fig wasps
- ants
- geckos
- spiders
how far can the hundreds of emerging fig wasps travel?
> 100km