How Wasps Make Figs
WouterFigs are delicious, but they are not always what they seem. These fruity treats have a secret: They are home to many insects. These insects are necessary for fig production. Fig trees require wasps to grow, but some are not pollinating.
Fig wasps are tiny insects that live inside figs. Their life cycle is different from other insects. The queen wasp lays eggs inside the fig chamber. These eggs develop into full-sized wasps. The wasps then mate with other wasps born in the same fig. The queen wasp dies after laying eggs.
Female wasps collect pollen from the figs and deposit it inside the flowers of the fig. This pollen fertilizes the fig ovaries. The fig plant accepts the pollen as payment for the work of the wasps. It also produces a special enzyme, ficain, that breaks down the exoskeleton of the female wasp.
In order to make a fig, the wasp needs a place to live. The fig is the perfect home for the wasps. It has a small opening on its tip, called an ostiole. This opening is the only connection between the inside of the fig and the outside world. The wasps squeeze through the opening to get inside the fig. When they climb inside, they tear their wings and antennae.
After a couple weeks, the eggs inside the fig grow into larvae. They then begin to grow inside the fig petals. Then, the fig starts to ripen. The fig is not closed until the seeds have matured.
