Ficus lepicarpa: Male fig Brunei

The top section of the same male fig. Note the empty gall flowers from which the wasps have obviously left and the dead wasps at bottom right. The fig wall bottom right looks bruised and this may be due to Non Pollinating Fig Wasp (NPFW) activity. NPFW are parasites on figs and fig wasps and their activity may also account for the dead wasps.

An over ripe male fig with an open ostiole from which the fig wasps have already exited. Note the scaly surface of the fig hence the Latin name F. lepicarpa meaning “leperous fig”.

Many of the ripe male figs had a small neat hole cut out by a Plantain Squirrel Calliosciurus notatus presumably so that the squirrel could eat the fig wasps as they emerged. See this story about Ficus fulva male figs also being attacked by a squirrel to get at the emerging fig wasps

There were two crops of figs on the same male tree. The over ripe male figs illustrated above and a cohort of juvenile figs prior to wasp entry.

Wasai Bedanu (Meriuk Farm Stay) is a mixture of old growth forest and orchards about 40 minutes drive from Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei Darussalam, Borneo. The small Ficus lepicarpa tree is in the middle of the photo.

The Ficus lepicarpa tree was half smothered by a Meremmia vine (Convolvulacea) with large leaves. Meremmia flowers are large and yellow so they are easy to recognize when they are flowering.

Ficus lepicarpa saplings growing next to a stream at Wasai Bedanu.

Jungle Dave is the local manger of Meriuk Farm Stay at Wasai Bedanu at Tutong in Brunei

THE FIGS OF BORNEO

A guide to Borneo's 150 species of wild fig trees, stranglers, lianas and shrubs

Ficus lepicarpa: Male fig Brunei

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