Figs eat wasps. I totally did not know that
 

So, it turns out that figs and wasps have this weird relationship.

The fig needs to be pollinated. The female wasp collects pollen. So the fig has evolved a perfect-sized hole for eggs, exactly where they need their pollen delivered, and this attracts the female wasps.

So the female wasp comes in, pollinates, and lays eggs. But the fig has not made the hole a proper size for the wasp, cos she breaks her antennae and wings off on the way in.

So she's got nothing else going on, and she dies.

At that point, for nourishment, the fig eats the wasp with its special fig enzymes.

:eek:

The eggs hatch, the hatchlings mate right away. As if this whole thing wasn't gross enough, infant brother and sister wasps, going at it.

And then the males chew through the fig's skin, and then die. Right. Fuck once, then go to work your whole life, then die. That's the whole thing for them. The male wasps don't even have wings. But the job is, they make the holes in the skin, so the females can get out with their wings, to fly off, be assholes, and collect pollen...

And soon enough, the pollen-laden, pregnant females look for new perfect-sized places for their eggs...

OK so you ate figs before. Did you eat wasp eggs? No.

The edible fig fruit is one of two fruits the plant develops. And to confuse everyone, they are male and female too.

The male fig has the perfect hidey-hole for the female wasp's eggs...

The female fig, which is the edible fig, only has the opening. Once the female wasp is tricked into going in, there's no place for the eggs. She just dies, and gets eaten by the fig.

So, the edible figs don't have eggs.

But they have eaten a pregnant wasp.

Glad someone figured all that out

Hey, I'm supposed to be eating enough protein to keep a small country on its legs.
I like figs.
Add in an insect I can't even taste? Win-win.

So the Greek Fig Council pays the Clinton Foundation they lean on the Turkish Government to reduce fig exports but the Turks secretly hire UT to sink the worldwide fig market. Is that what happened cuz I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

Figs yummy.

It figures

This is why a lot of vegans won't eat figs - or so I've heard :rolleyes:

this is how the term Flying Fig came to be

A very strong and po'erful 'Hercules Wasp' realized her peril as she backed into a female fig and Flew away, but not before the Fig had latched it's Figgy claws on. The Fig was seen flying about Hither and Yon for days until the Wasp finally succumbed and landed in a pan of pudding. This was on New Years Day. Figgy Pudding has been a tradition in many houses ever since.

Turns out David Cronenberg and I am influencing the world.
Reading his first ever novel.
Quoted some to Carruthers because it made me laugh. It was about the bits a boy-bat has, not a girl-bat (being aware people read this at work).

Went to get something from living room later and saw a bat echo-locate the window and spin away. Never seen that before in this location.

Last book I saw before retiring last night? Danny Baker's "Going Off Alarming". Good book btw.
An otherwise redundant fire alarm went off in the night. No fire - battery fault. Went on until it was sorted by the office downstairs this morning.

Read post re figs and wasps.
Cronenberg has moved from bats and now narrative includes a woman who thinks her breast is full of insects and needs to be amputated (well, it is Cronenberg)
And a film which feeds her obsession is one about eating insects.

I am very scared about what I think of next.
It will happen. I will be the cause. Please think of unicorns for me. Preferably not goring people.

There's a photoshop image somehere on the Cellar on that theme... (actually it's a lotus flower, but it's intended to evoke insects).

"Queen of Trees"<--YouTube link

:yum::yesnod:

Nightmares re figs, coming right up.

No wonder the damn things give me migraines. Digested wasp venom. It sounds like a new cosmetic.

note to orthodoc.

do not research carmine

I always knew the fig trees in our backyard attracted wasps. Now that I know they're breeding the fuckers, I want to cut them down even more.