fig wasp

noun

1. a chalcid wasp, Blastophaga psenes, introduced into the U.S. from Europe, that pollinates figs, usually of the Smyrna variety.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fig wasp¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

But when you find out about the whole fig/wasp connection, you should be able to stomach it.

From Fox News

That task belongs to a minuscule insect known as the fig wasp, whose life cycle is intertwined with the fig’s.

From The New Yorker

The fig and the fig wasp are a superlative example of what biologists call codependent evolution.

From The New Yorker

This is the fig plant’s accommodation of the fig wasp.

From The New Yorker

A fig wasp departs a ripe fig to find an unripe fig, which means that there must always be figs at different stages.

From The New Yorker