Many people wonder if figs contain wasps. The answer is not a simple yes or no, as the presence of wasps depends on the specific type of fig. While some fig varieties rely on a particular wasp species for reproduction, others can produce fruit without any insect involvement.
The Unique Symbiotic Relationship
Figs are inverted flower structures called syconia, with hundreds of tiny flowers lining their inner surface. For many wild fig species, these hidden flowers require a specialized pollinator: the fig wasp. Each fig species often has its own unique fig wasp species, creating an obligate mutualism where both organisms depend on each other for survival.
The life cycle begins when a pregnant female fig wasp, laden with pollen from her birth fig, locates a receptive fig by its scent. She squeezes through a tiny opening at the fig’s apex, called the ostiole, a passage so narrow she often loses her wings and parts of her antennae in the process. Once inside, she pollinates some of the fig’s female flowers while simultaneously laying her eggs in others.
After laying her eggs, the female wasp dies within the fig. Her eggs hatch into larvae, which develop by feeding on the fig’s tissues. Male wasps typically emerge first and are wingless, their primary role being to mate with the female wasps still developing inside the fig. They then chew escape tunnels through the fig wall, allowing the newly fertilized female wasps, now carrying pollen, to emerge and seek out new figs.
Not All Figs Require Wasps
While many wild fig species rely on this wasp relationship, a significant number of cultivated figs, including most varieties found in grocery stores, do not require wasps for fruit production. The ‘Common Fig’ (Ficus carica), for instance, often produces fruit through a process called parthenocarpy. This means the fig can develop and ripen without pollination or fertilization, effectively producing fruit without the need for a fig wasp.
Many popular cultivated varieties, such as ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Celeste’, and ‘Black Mission’, are parthenocarpic. These figs develop fruit from unpollinated flowers, meaning no wasp entry or egg-laying is necessary. Even if a fig tree produces green fruits that do not ripen, it is usually a normal developmental stage for young trees rather than an indication of absent wasps.
Some fig types, like the Smyrna fig, do require pollination by the fig wasp (Blastophaga psenes) to produce edible fruit. However, these are less common in general consumption compared to parthenocarpic varieties. Therefore, the vast majority of figs consumed by people do not involve wasps in their development.
The Fate of the Fig Wasp
For those fig varieties that do rely on wasps for pollination, the female fig wasp, having completed her mission of pollination and egg-laying, dies inside the fig. This is a natural part of the symbiotic process.
The fig breaks down the wasp’s body. Figs produce a proteolytic enzyme known as ficin (also called ficain). This enzyme effectively digests the dead wasp’s body, converting its protein into nutrients that the fig absorbs as it ripens. Consequently, by the time a fig is ripe and ready for consumption, there is no intact wasp inside.
The crunchy bits often noticed when eating a fig are typically the seeds, not remnants of a wasp. This enzymatic breakdown ensures that even in wasp-pollinated figs, the wasp’s presence is ephemeral. Therefore, consumption of figs does not usually involve eating an intact insect.