Bracovirus
Guides
Cotesia congregata
Hornworm Parasitoid Wasp
Cotesia congregata is a gregarious endoparasitoid wasp and a model organism in insect physiology research. Females oviposit eggs into caterpillar hosts, primarily tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata), simultaneously injecting a symbiotic polydnavirus (CcBV) and venom. The virus suppresses host immune defenses and disrupts development, allowing wasp larvae to complete their growth inside the living host. Mature larvae emerge through the host cuticle and spin white silk cocoons on the exterior surface. The wasp exhibits post-emergence learning of host plant cues, with a critical learning window of 0–4 hours after adult emergence.