Exploring Fig Wasps

Figs can be enormous park trees or small fruit trees, and whatever the plant’s size they produce unusual fruit which have a specific arrangement with a little wasp.

learn about Fig wasps

Did you know that the fig fruit is actually a bunch of internal flowers and is home to wasp eggs and larvae?

This relationship is called mutualism and benefits the plant by providing pollination, and benefits wasps by providing a safe nursery for their babies. Each different type of fig has its own unique fig wasp species. The male wasp spends its whole life inside the fig and then dies after it’s made a tunnel out for the female to fly away!

Find out more about the Moreton Bay Fig.

  1. Think deeper

    The Waspy World story showed how the fig and wasp need each other. Can you remember what word describes this special relationship? Can you find examples of other relationships like this in nature? (Hint: sharks and ?; ants and ?; fruit bats and ?) 

Life cycle of Fig Wasp

Life Cycle of a Fig Wasp