Many people think wasps are a nuisance, or are afraid of wasps because they sting. But wasps are also beneficial.
pollinators that have co-evolved with figs, Ficusspp.
As they are predatory, and capture insects they provide vital ecological pest control services. Wasps also require pollen and nectar, and are common visitors to flowers. They carry pollen as they move around flowers, and serve as pollinators.
Figwasps are the tiny pollinators of mighty fig trees, with whom they have a very special relationship. Figs trees have their flowers inside the fruit. The figwasp is adapted to be able to burrow its way through a tiny opening into the fruit to bred, and pollinate the flowers.
There are many species of fig trees in East Africa, and each can be pollinated only by a particular species of figwasp. The tree cannot survive without the figwasp, and the wasp cannot survive without the tree. They are wedded together forever. It is female figwasps who pollinate, being able to fly between trees.
Males never leave the fig they are born in.
Green figs (are actually enclosed flowers, called a synconium), detail of a synconium in cross-section with an approaching wasp to scale.
Female fig wasp ovipositing in short-styled female flower next to fertile long-styled female flower that she pollinates with pollen from the pockets on her side.
These eggs develop and flightless male fig wasps hatch out (as in top bottom left) and mate with females. Then mature females hatch out, gather pollen and depart the fig to repeat the whole cycle.
