Do Figs Contain Dead Wasps?
WouterFigs are sweet edible fruits that are often sold as jams and dessert bases. They are cultivated in balmy climes, such as the Mediterranean countries. They were originally grown in Roman times. Today, they can be found on modern cheese plates from Texas to Tasmania. Figs are also used by the natives of Central America to treat intestinal worm infections.
Figs contain an enzyme called ficin, which helps to digest the bodies of dead wasps. Some figs contain wasp eggs, but these are not necessarily found in the fruit. Other figs develop without wasps, which are commonly found in supermarket figs. The crunchy texture in the center of figs is due to the seeds.
Most wasps are not arbitrarily aggressive. They symbiotically live with figs through mutualism. If the number of wasps in a fig is too high, it can hurt the finished harvest. This is why fig farmers try to keep the number of wasps to a minimum.
Some figs ripen without wasps, but some breeds refuse to develop fruit without wasps. In these cases, the wasp eggs are deposited before the figs harden.
The female fig wasp crawls into the male fig and lays eggs inside the fruit. These eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the fruit’s fleshy covering. During pollination, the female wasp loses her wings. If the female wasp cannot lay eggs, she dies inside the fig. Then she takes the pollen to other figs.
