Do Figs Need Wasps to Ripen?
WouterFigs don’t require wasps to ripen. However, some figs need wasps to pollinate them. These figs are pollinated by special wasps that enter through a tiny hole in the fruit. These wasps are called pollinator wasps.
Female pollinator wasps are a type of wasp that carries pollen from one fig to another. They lay their eggs inside the fig, and carry the pollen back to the original host fig. They also carry pollen from the original host fig to other figs, and these pollens fertilize the fig ovaries.
Female pollinator wasps can be found in over 900 species of figs. These pollinator wasps are different in size and shape from ordinary wasps. They have a short spine on the underside of their heads. They are a few millimeters long. They are also wingless.
The life cycle of the pollinating fig wasp is different in each species. But, they all go through three stages: eggs, larvae, and wasps. The larvae of the wasps are the first to emerge from the eggs. The larvae then grow into a worm-like grub. The grub gradually takes on the features of an adult wasp. The wasp then begins to feed on the fig for several weeks. It also begins to break down the carcass of the fig and turn it into protein. This process breaks down the wasp’s exoskeleton. The wasp then dies. Its body is then absorbed back into the fruit.
The life cycle of the fig wasp is complete when the female wasp dies. She is then digested by the fig. The wasp’s exoskeleton is broken down by a enzyme called ficin.
