Native
AFR, AUS, IND, NEA, PAL
Present at least in Paphos administrative district (Koutsoukos E, Demetriou J, unpublished data).
Compton et al. (2020)
Phytophagous - Pollinator.
Mutualistic pollinator of Ficus carica. Noyes (2019) also lists it as an associate Ficus palmata.
Ficus carica
(NE) DD LC NT VU EN CR EX
Not Evaluated
No measures in place.
No threats identified.
Unknown.
Compton S, Newton H, Stavrinides M, Kaponas C (2020) First confirmed records of fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) associated with the Sycamore Fig Ficus sycomorus on a Mediterranean Island. Entomologist's Gazette, 71: 121-124.
Noyes JS (2019) Universal Chalcidoidea Database. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/chalcidoids
Blastophaga psenes was at first observed by Theophrastus (371- 286 BC), who invented the name psenes (Greek: ψήνας). This means that B. psenes is a strong candidate for claiming the tittle of the oldest chalcid wasp ever recorded!
For more info, check Thanos (1994): http://users.uoa.gr/~cthanos/Papers/AristotleTheophrastus.pdf
Female B. psenes emerging from a F. carica fig.
Blastophaga psenes, female
Blastophaga psenes, male.