Ficus religiosa growing next to the main road at Jalan Haji Karim at Tawau in Sabah. It is likely that this fig tree originated as a self sown sapling from a seed dispersed by a bird from from the Hindu Temple in Tawau some 20 years ago.
From the number of saplings growing on buildings in Tawau town it is obvious figs are being pollinated and producing viable seeds so there must be a population of pollinating fig wasps present in Tawau. The photos below show live fig wasps emerging from a cut fig. It is possible that NPFW (non-pollinating fig wasps) which are parasitic on Ficus religiosa are also present in Tawau.
All photos by Chun Xing Wong of 1StopBorneo Wildlife
Note the very flaky bark. In figs native to Borneo flaky bark is normally associated with ant activity. It is believed that ants may eat the bark or use it for nest construction, possibly both. Many Bornean figs have flaky bark but the figs in which it is most obvious are Ficus uniglandulosa, Ficus subcordata and F. benjamina. Ants are also very important dispersers of fig seeds which they store in their nests in cracks in rocks and buildings. This is true for Ficus microcarpa and is almost certainly true for Ficus religiosa which from observations in Singapore and Sabah typically establishes in cracks in concrete buildings where ants have nests.
