Agaone

Agaone is a genus of fig wasps (family Agaonidae). These wasps are obligate pollinators of figs in the section Malvanthera of the genus Ficus, which are native to Australia, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia. The genus is distinguished by several morphological characteristics of the female wasp, including specific features of the head, antennae, and ovipositor. The lifecycle of Agaone wasps is intricately linked to the flowering cycle of their host fig species. Female wasps enter the fig syconium (the enclosed inflorescence of a fig) to lay their eggs, simultaneously pollinating the female flowers within. The larvae develop inside the fig ovaries, and after mating within the fig, the fertilized female wasps emerge, collect pollen, and then seek out new figs to pollinate, thus perpetuating the cycle. The male wasps are flightless and remain inside the fig syconium.