More highly female-biased sex ratio in the fig wasp, Blastophaga nipponicaGrandi (Agaonidae)

The sex ratio of the pollinator fig wasp, Blastophaga nipponica Grandi (Aga onidae), was examined in an experiment manipulating the number of foundress es. The sex ratio of B. nipponica was conditional on the number of foundres ses and corresponded to the qualitative prediction of the local mate compet ition (LMC) theory that the proportion of males increases as foundress numb er increases. However, the sex ratio of B. nipponica was consistently more female-biased than predicted by extended LMC theories that incorporated eff ects of inbreeding, and these deviations were statistically significant. Pl ausible factors that would make predictions more female-biased are discusse d.