Blastophaga psenes
This record describes Blastophaga psenes (species). Recorded family: Agaonidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Blastophaga psenes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blastophaga_psenes.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Chalcidoidea
- Family
- Agaonidae (Fig wasps)
- Subfamily
- Agaoninae
- Genus
- Blastophaga
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Native to Asia; introduced to North America (CA-TX) and other continents to pollinate fig trees
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Blastophaga psenes (Linnaeus 1758)
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Blastophaga psenes. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Blastophaga psenes (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ken Wolgemuth; Additional contributions by v belov