Maintenance of species-specificity in a Neotropical fig- pollinator wasp mutualism.

Specificity at different stages in the interaction was studied in a common neotropical fig, Ficus pertusa, particularly in relation to its sympatric congener F. tuerckheimii. 99% of pollinators arriving at sticky traps on flowering figs were the specialist species. Foreign pollinators virtually never entered F. pertusa syconia to oviposit or emerged from mature fruits. Pollinators arrive at F. pertusa trees in a one-day burst that is well timed with the presence of unpollinated syconia, providing evidence for the existence of a species-specific volatile attractant. Some nonpollinating wasps associated with F. pertusa appear to use the same attractant to locate the tree.-from Author