Part 2/5:
It all begins with the arrival of the female fig wasp, drawn to the undeveloped fig that offers a refuge for her progeny. As she enters the tiny fruit, the process is fraught with peril; the fig’s entrance is so constricted that her wings are torn off—rendering her flightless for the remainder of her life. Undeterred, she burrows deep into the fig, where the tightly packed internal flowers await.
Inside, the female fig wasp lays hundreds of eggs among these delicate flowers. Tragically, this act of creation also leads to her demise; she dies within the unripe fig, leaving her offspring to develop fully nurtured by the very fruit that housed her.