Trapped in a Fig: The Perils and Payoffs of Pollination | EveryONE
Pollinating insects are an industrious bunch, working tirelessly as they flit from blossom to blossom. But for insects like the short-lived, fig-pollinating wasp, the job of bringing fruit to fruition can be a dangerous business. According to a recent PLOS ONE study, some wasps can get trapped and die in the fig during pollination, when they enter to deposit their eggs. The researchers find that wasps of a certain size may take this risk into account when deciding which figs to approach.
CiarĂ¡n Quinn, Research Support Librarian & Librarian for the Research Institutes, Maynooth University. ciaran.quinn@mu.ie
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