How do figs get pollinated

To start the cycle, a female fig wasp enters a fig through the tiny hole in the bottom, which is so small that it tears her wings off on the way in. The female wasp lays her eggs in the fig, and will die shortly after. When the larvae hatch, they feed on some delicious fig and wil eventually pupate into matured wasps.

The male wasps who are wingless will mate with the females, and then start creating tunnels for the now fertile females to exit the fig. The winged females will collect some pollen from her home fig and carry it to a new fig to lay its own eggs.

She will exit her home fig to find a new one for her larvae, and will pollinate this new fig when she enters. The males will remain in their home fig until they die. And the cycle goes on and on, pollinating fig after fig, and providing a safe and nutrient rich environment for generations of future fig wasps.

There are also some more greedy, parasitic wasps who have, in a way, beat the system. In Vancouver, we are now starting to see figs pop up all over the city on menus, particularly farm-to-table restaurants that source local fresh ingredients. Learn more. Introduction Some native Australian fig trees need fig wasps for successful pollination and the wasps rely on the tree to complete their lifecycle. Identification Male fig wasps are wingless, a golden-brown colour and have an under-turned 'tail'; females have wings and a long head.

Habitat Fig wasps live in urban areas, forests and woodlands and anywhere native fig trees are found. Distribution Fig wasps are found throughout Australia. Life history cycle After mating inside a fig, which contains the minute flowers, the pollen-laden female flies off to find another fig. Back to top. Once the females pick a plant, they crawl inside, drop some pollen from their birthfig, as well as their future babies, and the whole thing starts anew.

Now to the mummified wasps. Once they enter a fig to lay their eggs, their wings and antennae are stripped away, leaving the wasp to do her duty and perish. Those are the sad little insects we end up consuming.