Chetogena

Rondani, 1856

Chetogena is a of (: ) comprising . Members are that attack various . Some species exhibit specialized reproductive behaviors, including retention in response to host deprivation. The genus has been studied for potential against agricultural pests.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chetogena: //kəˈtoʊ.dʒə.nə//

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Habitat

tundra for C. gelida; agricultural and natural for other .

Distribution

North (Ellesmere Island, Canada) for C. gelida; Denmark, Norway, and Sweden based on distribution records.

Host Associations

Gynaephora rossii - : ; final- primarily attacked. Extremely .
Spodoptera frugiperda - : ; .
Trichoplusia ni - : ; .

Life Cycle

development; limited to one per due to larval competition. Some develop predominantly on final- host .

Behavior

Females deprived of for 2–7 days retain one in the uterus where it undergoes . This egg retention allows exploitation of hosts molting within 40 hours after egg receipt, and possibly multiply parasitized hosts.

Ecological Role

regulating of . retention broadens exploitable host range to include soon-to- hosts.

Human Relevance

Studied for potential against agricultural pests including and .

Similar Taxa

ExoristaBoth are in tribe Exoristini with similar lifestyles. Chetogena can be distinguished by genus-level morphological characters and specific associations.