''Cotesia'' is a genus of

braconid The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

wasps first described by

Peter Cameron Peter Cameron may refer to: * Peter Cameron (entomologist) (1847–1912), English entomologist who specialised in Hymenoptera * Peter Cameron (mathematician) (born 1947), Australian mathematician, joint winner of the 2003 Euler Medal * Peter Camero ...

in 1891. Some species parasitize caterpillars of species considered pests, and are used as

biocontrol Biological control or biocontrol is a method of pest control, controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or phytopathology, plants by bioeffector, using other organisms. It relies o ...

agents. ''

Cotesia congregata ''Cotesia congregata'' is a parasitoid wasp of the genus ''Cotesia''. The genus is particularly noted for its use of polydnaviruses. Parasitoids are distinct from true parasites in that a parasitoid will ultimately kill its host or otherwise ste ...

'' parasitizes the

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

and the tobacco hornworms. '' C. glomerata'' and '' C. rubecula'' feed on the cabbage white and other

white butterfly White butterfly may refer to: ;Biology: * ''Pierinae'', a subfamily of butterflies commonly called the whites * '' Pieris'', a genus of Pierinae commonly called the whites or garden whites * ''Appias'', another genus of Pierinae sometimes called th ...

caterpillars. '' C. gonopterygis'' and '' C. risilis'' are host-specific and parasitize the common brimstone.Lozan, Aurel; Spitzer, Karel; Jaroš, Josef (2012-06-01)
"Isolated peat bog habitats and their food connections: parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) and their lepidopteran hosts"
''Journal of Insect Conservation''. 16 (3): 391–397.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit to uniquely identify a periodical publication (periodical), such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs a ...

br>1366-638X
doibr>10.1007/s10841-011-9425-4
The wasp '' C. melanoscelus'' parasitizes the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

of the

spongy moth ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as '' L. d. dispar'' ...

. It, and the spongy moth, are native to Europe. The spongy moth is an invasive species in North America, and ''C. melanoscelus'' has been imported as a biocontrol of the moth. ''

Cotesia icipe ''Cotesia icipe'' is a parasitoid species of wasp of the genus '' Cotesia''. Found in tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, it was first discovered as a parasitoid of the Lepidopterans ''Spodoptera littoralis'' and beet armyworm (''Spodopter ...

'' is a

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

of ''

Spodoptera littoralis ''Spodoptera littoralis'', also referred to as the African cotton leafworm or Egyptian cotton leafworm or Mediterranean brocade, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. ''S. littoralis'' is found widely in Africa, Mediterranean Europe and M ...

'' and

beet armyworm The beet armyworm or small mottled willow moth (''Spodoptera exigua'') is one of the best-known agricultural pest insects. It is also known as the asparagus fern caterpillar. It is native to Asia, but has been introduced worldwide and is now fou ...

(''Spodoptera exigua'') which are pests of

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual plant, annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some names include "prostrate pigweed" an ...

crops.

Species

List of ''Cotesia'' species File:HYME Braconidae Cotesia ruficrus.png, ''Cotesia ruficrus'' illustrated by

Des Helmore Desmond W. Helmore (born 1940) is a New Zealand artist and illustrator, known both for his fine art and for his scientific work depicting insects, not least illustrating the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. One of the country's most noted and ...

File:Braconidae - Cotesia glomerata - Cocoons.JPG, ''Cotesia'' sp. cocoons File:Cotesia cocoons.jpg, ''Cotesia'' sp. cocoons

References

External links

Preliminary evolutionary relationships within the parasitoid wasp genus ''Cotesia''
*

Microgastrinae Braconidae genera Articles containing video clips Taxa named by Peter Cameron {{Ichneumonoidea-stub

Species

See also

References

External links