Zoological Studies

Vol. 63, 2024

(update: 2024.6.12)

Global Geographical Patterns on the Historical Species Description Process of Fig Wasps (Agaonidae)

Xerach Hernández-Aguiar1, Antonio Rodríguez2, Jose-Luis Nieves-Aldrey3, Carlo Polidori4, Jose F. Gómez1, and Diego Gil-Tapetado1,4,*
doi:-

1Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución C/ Jos?Antonio Nováis 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: xeracher@ucm.es (Hernández-Aguiar); jofgomez@ucm.es (Gómez)
2Universit?Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UREP, Clermont- Ferrand, France. E-mail: antonio.rodriguez-hernandez@inrae.fr (Rodríguez)
3Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Calle Jos?Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: mcnna38@mncn.csic.es (Nieves-Aldrey)
4Universit?Degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali. Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. *Correspondence: E-mail: diego.gil@ucm.es (Gil-Tapetado)
    E-mail: carlo.polidori@unimi.it (Polidori)

(Received 25 January 2023 / Accepted 10 April 2024 / Published -- 2024)
Communicated by Y. Miles Zhang

Fig pollinating wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae) constitute a key ecological role since they are the only known pollinators to Ficus (Moraceae), founding complex food webs. Taxonomy of Agaonidae is relatively well known due to their ecological importance and their mutualistic closed relationship with Ficus. However, the spatial and temporal patterns that have influenced the agaonid distribution as well as the species description record of this family are yet unknown. Here, we aim to study the taxonomical and nomenclatural knowledge status of Agaonidae (following Burks et al. 2022) in each biogeographical region and globally. We analyse taxonomic factors, such as the number of described species or the amount of non-valid binominals, together with their historical description process. By retrieving and analysing all available geographical and nomenclatural data in fig wasps of the Universal Chalcidoidea Database, we have found that the diversity of Agaonidae is underestimated, existing a high potential dark biodiversity, especially in the tropical areas where highest diversity is observed. The species richness of Agaonidae varies depending on the biogeographical region, being more unknown in the Neotropical region, and higher and better represented other tropical areas as the Afrotropical or Oriental realms. Our results indicate that there is a strong need in increasing sampling efforts and research for a better understanding of Agaonidae’ diversity and interspecific relationships, as well as inventory revisions to correct potentially redundant binominal names.

Key words: Agaonidae, Ficus, Binominal name, Distribution

Citation: Hernández-Aguiar X, Rodríguez A, Nieves-Aldrey J, Polidori C, Gómez JF, Gil-Tapetado D. 2024. Global geographical patterns on the historical species description process of fig wasps (Agaonidae). Zool Stud 63:27.