Squadrons of pollen laden wasps (Blastophaga psenes) started now to leave the early ripening Profichis to perform their pollination job around the orchard.
This year there are an abundance of Profichis given the very mild winter and a total absence of excessive warm weather and strong SE winds.
There will be a very high caprification efficiency on all Smyrna and San Pedro summer crops-

The caprifig variety shown on the pictures, not much tolerant of weather extremes is the most productive, some fruit may put out in excess of 500 insects per fig

Francisco

Francisco, thanks for this post, this is a fascinating topic.

Francisco, I have not found large numbers of wasps in any of the profichi from the wild caprig tree next door but see many wasps flying around and many hundreds of figs in various stages. Somewhat confused about the matter, but assume this isn't a good quality caprifig.

Here's how they should look like when emerging from the profichi

these have realy big wings relative o the body. i hope they come by  my house next year..

does anyone know if the move in herds?  or one can find a fig and calles the others?

Donna, Harvey, Bass, Elin

Thank you for looking at the pictures and commenting ..  Thanks Bass for showing your wasp pic.

Here you have some more to look at

- From orderly wasp work with a couple of them cutting the hard scales of the ostiole of a receptive black Smyrna to open a passage to move into the fig and... spray the golden pollen from their bodies feet, wings and bellies...
other 'colleagues' on stand by just in case.. (pic 0000624)

- To a catastrophic brawl of wasp fighting and pushing around to try and be the first to get into the fig
This particular fight lasted several hours...(pic 0000685)

- Potted caprifigs of different varieties, fully ripe and issuing wasps (pics000485 and 000482)

- A Tupperware box full of ripe caprifigs for whoever needs them...This time was my cousin Aurora who presented that box to me for testing on a particularly hard to pollinate  Smyrna (Belmandil)
(pic 0000562)

A branch with a few  potted Black Smyrna figs showing their nice dull green color with some white dots, a clear sign of a successful pollination. (pic000829)
Before the wasp visits,  the fig is smaller, thinner, and its color is a glossy green (pic 000624)
Immediately after pollination the color changes and the fruit starts growing rapidly and changing its skin color to its final colors and shades.

Harvey, if the wasps you see are in fact Blastophaga psenes, they are certainly generated from the inside of a Profichi,..each fig may have from a few dozens to up to many hundreds,..may be 500 or even 700 wasps..with some experience we estimate how full it  is, by its volume and feeling its weight on your hand..Wasps never come out of the fig in 'flocks' but one at a time...may be one every 2 or 3 secs I would estimate for the speedy ones..You have to look at a bunch of  ripe fig with a small opening on the ostiole and ...wait a bit . Best timing is the morning between 8 and 10.

Eli, I do not think they move in groups but individually. Once out of the ostiole they move around on the fig exterior, I have seen them doing some leg and wing raking, resting for a short while and then taking off to nearby figs.
My ancestors did tell me that they are guided to the Smyrna - San Pedro, and/or other varieties, by a particular 'scent' coming from these figs, and this guides them...sort of pheromones from the receptive
female flowers...a bit like with other living creatures mammals and reptiles for instance !!!
If you do not believe on what I am saying, try this with a inoffensive, slow moving chameleon couple at the correct timing--
The guy moves faster than a Mirage V
Francisco