By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News
Footage captured by scientists has revealed the power of a parasitic wasp, which has evolved a zinc-tipped drill to bore into fruit.
The wasps penetrate the fruit in order to lay their eggs inside.
A team from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore found that wasps' fruit-drilling and egg-laying tool - which is thinner than a human hair - has teeth enriched with zinc.
The researchers' study is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
The researchers think the fig wasp's egg-laying technique could inspire the design of new tools for microsurgical techniques.
Microscopic drill
The female parasitic fig wasp bores its way through a tough, unripe fig to find the larvae of other pollinating insects already developing inside. Its own offspring will then feed on these larvae as they develop within the safety of the fig.
Lead researcher Dr Namrata Gundiah said: "She uses her ovipositor... pushing this needle inside [the fruit] at the location, where she has decided to lay her eggs.
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