The fellowship of the fig continues its journey: Fig wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) associated with Ficus microcarpa in Greece

The number of alien species continues to climb uninterrupted with a proportion of them becoming invasive, impacting native biodiversity and socioeconomic parameters. Many alien species are plants, transported outside their native range, sometimes alongside their associated insects hitching a ride to new destinations. Ficus microcarpa L. (Moraceae) is a common ornamental plant in the Mediterranean, which has been found to host a large ecological network of associated chalcid wasps (also called fig wasps). Amongst them, the plant’s pollinator Eupristina verticillata Waterston (Agaonidae), enhances the plant’s successful pollination and subsequent germination, thus allowing it to establish viable populations and even become invasive in some parts of the world. Other associated wasps, also called non-pollinating fig wasps, have likewise followed and these are parasitoids, inquilines or gallers. These species can be either beneficial or injurious to F. microcarpa, with some even proposed as potential biological control agents mitigating the plant’s spread. Seven fig wasp species have been reported from Greece, hitherto. Here, we present the first national survey of fig wasp fauna for Greece. We found 13 species, with six representing new records for the country (Eufroggattisca okinavensis Ishii, Micranisa degastris Chen, Philotrypesis okinavensis Ishii, Philotrypesis taiwanensis Chen, Odontofroggatia quinifuniculus Feng & Huang, Sycophila curta Chen) and two (O. quinifuniculus, S. curta) being reported outside their native range for the first time. Philotrypesis emeryi is removed from previous checklists upon molecular characterization of specimens as being Philotrypesis okinavensis. We discuss the distribution, introduction period and ecology of these fig wasps. Further, we present records of seedlings for F. microcarpa and discuss the potential implications of the fig wasp fauna for the establishment and control of this alien plant species.