Do Wasps Pollinate?

While wasps aren’t thought of as the most efficient pollinators, they definitely are important!

The dizzying array of wasp species all pollinate different kinds of flowers. While some prefer to pollinate the sweet-smelling, pretty flowers, other wasps seek out something a little different. Most wasps aren’t really looking for nectar, but rather fruits or other kinds of food, like insects!

Many wasps are attracted to the flowers that aren’t all that bright, and release a rather strong odor! These kinds of flowers are called carrion flowers . In fact, these flowers emit odor that resembles rotting meat! While it might not be your first choice, some wasps absolutely love the smell!

Other wasps are a lot more specialized. Have you heard of the fig wasp? Fig trees have a fascinating kind of inflorescence , called the inverted flower, where the flowers are inside the fruit! And so, a unique flower would need a unique pollinator – the fig wasp. When the flowers inside the immature fruit are ready for pollination, it emits a scent to attract the female fig wasp. When a wasp enters the fig fruit, it lays its eggs inside the fruit so that the newly hatched young can get nutrients. Slowly, when the eggs hatch, the wasps break out of the now-ripe fruit and carry with them pollen that can pollinate the next set of fig fruits!

Wasps are crucial pollinators in the ecosystem . One very good example is that of fig wasps.They pollinate over 1,000 different species of figs. Figs are unusual in the way they flower: a cluster of flowers develops inside the immature fruit. Fig wasps enter through a pore in the fruit, mate, and lay eggs, and in turn, pollinate the tiny flowers present inside the fruit. Without them, some plants may never get pollinated! Maybe next time you find a wasp in your garden, you might even see them in the act!