40 



Bulletin 77 



pistils while the female works vigorously searching for a place to 

 deposit her eggs. The caprification of a crop maturing through a 

 month or more is possible, since the syconia of the profichi crop 

 mature in the same manner with insects emerging from the crop for 

 about 30 days, with further distribution of a crop of wasps emerg- 

 ing from the individual syconia for a period of about 10 days. 



Life history of the wasp. — As has previously been suggested, 

 there are three generations of the fig wasp each year. All stages of 

 transformation from the ^gg to the adult take place within the 

 ovary of the gall flowers. Both sexes of the insect develop under 

 the same conditions, a single individual occupying an ovary. 

 When they are ready to emerge the males appear first. They 

 are wingless, smaller than the females, light brown, and are provided 

 with strong jaws, useful in liberating themselves and the females 



Fig. ly. — Smyrna tigs that have been split open before reaching edible maturity. From 

 photograph, horticultural files. Arizona Experiment Station. 



from their quarters. On emerging, the males seek out the females 

 and impregnate them, after cutting a small opening in the wall of 

 the ovary enclosing them. The female, otherwise unable to escape, 

 is strong enough to enlarge the opening in the wall of the fig ovary, 

 made by the male, and makes her escape. The female immedi- 

 ately leaves the fig in which she has developed, in search of a suit- 

 able place to deposit her eggs. The males never leave the s3'conia 

 in which they mature. Fortunately for the fig grower, the female 

 wasp does not have the ability to discriminate between Capri 

 pistillate and other buds of the fig, but enters any and all in search 

 of a place to deposit eggs, vigorously working among the flowers. 



Emergence of Blastophaga.- — The dates of emergence of theBlasto- 

 phaga (fig wasp) vary with the locality and seasons. There is but 



