A small opening or ostiole, visible on the middle of the fruit, is a narrow passage that allows the specialized fig wasp, Blastophaga psenes, to enter the inflorescence and pollinate the flowers, after which each fertilized ovule (one per flower, in its ovary) develops into a seed. At maturity, these ‘seeds’ (actually single-seeded fruits) line the inside of each fig.
Most commercial (and even hobbyist) fig varieties are parthenocarpic, meaning they don’t require pollination.
And fig wasps don’t look like that. They’re tiny little guys that most people would probably mistake for a very small ant.
And even if the fig was pollinated by a wasp, it uses enzymes to break down the insects body, to protect itself from mold and other pathenogens that such may cause.
Basically; fig waps are itsy bitsy wittle wupies, while figs are digesting their dead mothers corpses, because they are metal as fuuuuuck.
Not a fig wasp. In fact, the article for Apoica Pallens doesn’t mention figs even once. It says that they’re used in folk medecine in Brazil, but that’s far from it being a popular food…
The journey to the center is pretty intense. She loses her wings on the way in and dies after laying her eggs.
iirc, the figs sold commercially were selectively bred to self pollinate. I think the FDA or USDA would have a major problem with dead animals in fruit, even if they’re supposed to be there naturally.
Honey?
Ohh, figs
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig
As someone who grows figs in their living room:
Most commercial (and even hobbyist) fig varieties are parthenocarpic, meaning they don’t require pollination.
And fig wasps don’t look like that. They’re tiny little guys that most people would probably mistake for a very small ant.
And even if the fig was pollinated by a wasp, it uses enzymes to break down the insects body, to protect itself from mold and other pathenogens that such may cause.
Basically; fig waps are itsy bitsy wittle wupies, while figs are digesting their dead mothers corpses, because they are metal as fuuuuuck.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoica_pallens
Not a fig wasp. In fact, the article for Apoica Pallens doesn’t mention figs even once. It says that they’re used in folk medecine in Brazil, but that’s far from it being a popular food…
That’s the joke, hence the title. ;)
The journey to the center is pretty intense. She loses her wings on the way in and dies after laying her eggs.
iirc, the figs sold commercially were selectively bred to self pollinate. I think the FDA or USDA would have a major problem with dead animals in fruit, even if they’re supposed to be there naturally.
Nope: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoica_pallens
And what food would that be?
It’s a joke.
ಠ_ಠ
:)
Not a very good one
You still learned about paper and fig wasps. :)