Ants are great resource utilizers and can be very effective allies in defense against herbivores. Instead of evolving biological resistance fig long-horn beetle and katydid have evolved evasive feeding behavior to get around figs chemical defense. This type of chemical defense is an example of evolutionary arms race between the prey and the predator. Milky latex is a cocktail of chemicals that jams the digestive system of herbivores. Plants have evolved biological and chemical defenses to reduce damage from herbivores. Squirrels feeding on flowers of a tree can make a comparable impact to that of giraffes feeding on unripe figs. Like hornbills, toucans have also been observed to loose their nests to social insects like stingless sweatbees. Both birds experience very similar ecological pressures such as limited number of suitable arboreal cavities. African and Asian hornbills show a functional equivalence to the toucans of the Americas. Plants also provide valuable nesting substrate. The following illustration is from a 1997 National Geographic article covered by Tim Laman on the strangler figs of Borneo, summarizing the life cycle of fig wasps: Site of oviposition is a limited resource and can lead to aggressive competitive behavior among females of the same species attracted to the same spot. Evolution of their ovipositors enabled them to specialize on specific prey type and as the documentary demonstrates wasps can even be parasites of other wasps. Wasp oviposition is a must see type of natural history event. Using genetic markers it has been estimated that a single tropical fig tree can pollinate others within 630 square kilometers in a study carried out in Panama. Thanks to this extraordinary relationship, figs today hold some of the largest gene flow distances. However, their symbiosis goes back to 60 million years in time. Oldest fig wasp fossil is 20 million years old. Being there and ready to capture such serendipitous events is the key to success.įigs and their highly specialized pollinators fig wasps are legendary.

It is almost impossible to choreograph events in wildlife films. Of course in the meantime serendipity kicks in and one begins to notice finer details. A thorough understanding of the landscape with it’s inhabitants helps predicting and capturing certain events that seem to be once in a life time shot. The success of the documentary comes from their long-term observations in a particular filming spot in Kenya where they camped on location for more than two years.

Veteran wildlife filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble once again put out a marvelous work by compiling observations on a community centered around a sycamore fig tree. Queen of Trees is now viewable on the official YouTube Channel of Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble.

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