Figs are a delightful fruit, with their sweet, floral taste and unique texture. The soft exterior hides a satisfying crunch from the seeds within. However, it may surprise you to learn that many species of figs contain the bodies of dead wasps. This is part of the fascinating lifecycle of both the fig tree and the fig wasp.
Figs are not your typical fruit. They are essentially packages that contain all of the fig tree’s flowers within them. But if the flowers are trapped inside the fig, how do they get pollinated? The answer lies with the fig wasp.
In most species, pregnant female fig wasps carrying pollen are attracted to young figs. They enter through a tiny opening at the fig’s bottom that’s highly selective—it usually only lets in the exact species of wasps that pollinate it. However, even the pollinators have a hard time getting in, often losing their wings and antennae in the process.
The wasp’s goal is to find a home for her babies, and the perfect home is inside the fig’s female flowers—those are the ones that would produce seeds if they were fertilized. The mama wasp drops a fertilized egg inside as many of the female flowers as she can—sometimes, up to a few hundred. Along the way, she winds up fertilizing the rest of the flowers with the fig pollen she’s carrying, and those flowers begin developing seeds. Once the wasp is finished laying eggs, she usually dies inside the fig.
Each baby wasp begins to grow, encased in a protective structure that the plant forms called a gall. The male wasps mature first. When they emerge, they find the galls of the female wasps, many of whom are their sisters, poke inside, and impregnate them before they’ve even hatched! Then, the males die inside the fig, but not before boring tiny holes through the fig’s skin. When the females do emerge, the fig has just started producing pollen. The female wasps pick up some of that pollen before making their way through the holes their brothers drilled, and go off to find a new fig to start the cycle again.
At this point, our fig’s seeds are finally mature and ready to be planted. And that happens when the ripe fig is eaten by animals, which poop out the seeds, spreading fig plants far and wide. Of course, humans eat figs, too. So, when you bite into a fig are you actually eating the bodies of dead wasps? Well, if you’re getting your figs from the supermarket, then most likely not.
Humans and figs have a really long history—we’ve probably been domesticating them for over 11,000 years. So, while there are over 750 species in the world, most of the figs we eat are a species called the “common fig,” which humans have had a huge hand in creating. In fact, some common figs are seedless and don’t require pollination at all. Other varieties of common fig do need to be pollinated, but have separate male and female trees, and we only eat fruits from the female ones.
If a wasp does enter a female fruit, she’ll pollinate it, and either manage to escape or die inside the fig. And then that fig might make it to your table. Frankly, one wasp here and there isn’t enough to deter me from eating these things. But if you’re still feeling squeamish, just think about it this way: by eating that fig, you’re benefiting from a complex and beautiful partnership—or, what’s called a “mutualism”— between two very different species. One that’s been delicately crafted by around 90 million years of evolution. And that certainly whets my appetite—at least for curiosity, if not for dinner.
Draw a detailed diagram that shows the lifecycle of both the fig and the fig wasp. Include labels and descriptions for each stage, from the wasp entering the fig to the seeds being spread by animals. Use different colors to represent the fig and the wasp to make your diagram clear and engaging.
In groups, create a role-playing game where each student takes on the role of either a fig tree, a fig wasp, or an animal that eats figs. Act out the lifecycle and interactions between the fig and the wasp. Make sure to include the pollination process, the laying of eggs, and the spreading of seeds.
Research different species of figs from around the world. Create a presentation that includes pictures, the specific type of wasp that pollinates each fig, and any unique characteristics of each fig species. Share your findings with the class.
Conduct an experiment to simulate how animals help in the dispersal of fig seeds. Use small objects to represent seeds and different materials to represent animal poop. Observe and record how the seeds spread when the “animals” move around. Discuss how this helps fig trees grow in new locations.
Write a short story from the perspective of a fig wasp. Describe your journey into the fig, laying eggs, and the lifecycle of your offspring. Include details about the challenges you face and the mutualistic relationship with the fig tree. Share your story with the class.
figs – Figs are sweet, pear-shaped fruits that grow on the Ficus tree.
Example sentence: I enjoyed a delicious fig from the tree in my backyard.
wasps – Wasps are flying insects that belong to the Hymenoptera order and are known for their sting.
Example sentence: Be careful, there are wasps buzzing around that picnic table.
fruit – Fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, typically containing seeds and used as food by humans and animals.
Example sentence: I love eating fresh fruit salad in the summertime.
seeds – Seeds are the reproductive structures of plants that develop from fertilized ovules and contain the genetic material needed for growth and development.
Example sentence: Plant the seeds in soil and water them regularly for best results.
flowers – Flowers are the reproductive structures of angiosperms, typically consisting of petals, sepals, stamens, and carpels.
Example sentence: The garden is full of colorful flowers in bloom.
pollinated – Pollinated refers to the process of transferring pollen from the male reproductive organs (stamens) to the female reproductive organs (pistils) of a flower, facilitating fertilization and seed production.
Example sentence: Bees play a crucial role in pollinating flowers and ensuring their reproduction.
fig wasp – The fig wasp is a small wasp that is essential for the pollination and reproduction of fig trees.
Example sentence: Without the fig wasp, fig trees would not produce fruit.
lifecycle – Lifecycle refers to the series of changes and development that an organism undergoes from birth or hatching to reproduction and eventual death.
Example sentence: The butterfly’s lifecycle includes the stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
gall – A gall is an abnormal growth or swelling on a plant, caused by the reaction of plant tissues to the presence of insects, mites, bacteria, or fungi.
Example sentence: The oak tree had large galls on its leaves due to an infestation of gall-inducing insects.
human influence – Human influence refers to the impact and effect that human activities have on the natural environment and ecosystems.
Example sentence: Deforestation and pollution are examples of negative human influences on the planet.
