The common fig, Ficus carica, is an ancient fruit with an unusual pollination process. Many wonder if all figs contain wasps. While figs have an intricate reproductive strategy involving tiny fig wasps, this interaction does not apply to every fig variety. This article explores fig pollination, distinguishing between different fig types and addressing misconceptions.
The Unique Fig-Wasp Relationship
The relationship between many fig species and their pollinator wasps is a classic example of mutualism. Figs are not typical fruits; they are inverted flower structures called syconia, with hundreds of tiny flowers lining the inside of a fleshy, hollow receptacle. A small opening at the fig’s apex, known as the ostiole, is the sole entry point to these hidden flowers.
Pollination begins when a female fig wasp, carrying pollen from her birth fig, locates a receptive fig by its scent. She squeezes through the ostiole, often losing her wings and antennae in the tight passage. Once inside, she deposits her eggs into some of the fig’s short-styled female flowers and, in the process, spreads pollen to other long-styled female flowers, enabling them to produce seeds.
After laying her eggs, the female wasp dies inside the fig. Her eggs hatch into larvae, which develop within galls formed from the short-styled flowers. Wingless male wasps emerge first, mate with the female larvae, and then chew escape tunnels through the fig wall before dying. Pregnant female wasps, now covered in pollen from the fig’s male flowers, exit through these tunnels to find new figs, continuing the cycle.
Not All Figs Are Alike
While the obligate mutualism between figs and wasps is widespread, not all fig varieties require wasp pollination. Over 750 species of figs exist globally, and their pollination needs vary. Many wild fig species depend entirely on their specific fig wasp pollinator for reproduction.
Cultivated figs, particularly many varieties found in supermarkets, often do not need wasps. Common fig varieties, such as Ficus carica ‘Mission’ or ‘Brown Turkey’, are parthenocarpic, meaning they produce fruit without pollination. These figs develop edible fruits without seeds and do not rely on the fig wasp for fruit development.
Other cultivated types, like Smyrna figs, require wasp pollination to produce viable fruit. For these, “caprifigs” (wild male fig trees) host the fig wasps that pollinate the female Smyrna fig flowers. The wasps emerge from the inedible caprifigs and transfer pollen to the edible Smyrna figs, which then ripen.
The Fate of the Fig Wasp
What happens to the female fig wasp after she enters a fig to lay her eggs? In figs requiring wasp pollination, the female wasp dies inside the fig after completing her duties. This is a natural part of the fig’s life cycle.
The fig produces a proteolytic enzyme called ficin, which breaks down the wasp’s body. This enzyme, found in the fig’s sap, digests the wasp. By the time the fig ripens, the wasp’s body has largely dissolved, leaving no discernible traces.
The “crunchy bits” sometimes found in figs are the fig’s tiny seeds, not wasp remains. This enzymatic breakdown ensures the process is hygienic and the fig remains safe for consumption, integrating the wasp’s nutrients back into the developing fruit.