The enemy of my enemy is my friend: Nematode infection of pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps has net benefits for the fig-fig wasp pollination mutualism

Abstract

Mutualistic associations between species pairs are ubiquitous in nature but are also components of broader organismal community networks. These community-level associations have shaped the evolution of individual mutualisms through interspecific interactions ranging from secondarily mutualistic to intensely antagonistic. Our understanding of this complex context remains limited because identifying species interacting with focal mutualists and assessing their associated fitness benefits and costs is difficult, especially over space and through time. Here, we focus on a community comprised of a fig and fig wasp mutualist, eight non-pollinating fig wasp (NPFW) commensals/antagonists, and a nematode previously believed to be associated only with the pollinator wasp mutualist. Through repeated sampling and field experiments, we identified that all NPFWs are targets for infection by this nematode. Further, this infection can impact NPFWs more severely than either mutualistic partner, suggesting a novel role of density-dependent facultative mutualism between fig and wasp mutualists and the nematode.