Polydnavirus
Guides
Banchinae
Banchinae is a large subfamily of Ichneumonidae containing approximately 1,500–1,800 described species distributed worldwide. The subfamily comprises three tribes: Banchini, Glyptini, and Atrophini. All banchines are koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae. Glyptini primarily parasitize Tortricidae, while Atrophini attack a broader range of small moth families. The genus Lissonota is notable for possessing exceptionally long ovipositors capable of reaching deep wood-boring Lepidoptera such as Cossidae. Banchinae and Campopleginae are the only Ichneumonidae subfamilies known to harbor polydnaviruses, which play a role in host immune suppression.
Braconidae
braconid wasps, braconids
Braconidae is a family of parasitoid wasps, the second-largest family in Hymenoptera with approximately 17,000 described species and estimates of 30,000–50,000 total species. Members are primarily internal or external parasitoids of other insects, with larvae developing in or on hosts including caterpillars, beetle larvae, aphids, and other insects. Many species possess polydnaviruses—virus-like particles derived from ancient viral integration—that suppress host immune defenses. The family is divided into about 47 subfamilies, informally grouped into cyclostomes and noncyclostomes based on mouthpart morphology. Braconids are economically significant as biological control agents against agricultural and forestry pests.
Campoletis
Campoletis is a genus of ichneumonid parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Campopleginae, established by Förster in 1869. Species are cosmopolitan in distribution and function as endoparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae. The genus includes notable species such as C. sonorensis, which has been extensively studied as a model system for host-parasitoid interactions and polydnavirus biology.
Campoletis sonorensis
Campoletis sonorensis is a parasitoid ichneumonid wasp distributed across much of the Americas, including the United States, Brazil, and Chile. It is a generalist endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae, with documented hosts including Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera exigua, Helicoverpa species, Chrysodeixis includens, and Heliothis virescens. The species employs sophisticated immune evasion strategies involving a mutualistic polydnavirus (Campoletis sonorensis ichnovirus, CsIV) and ovarian proteins that suppress host hemocyte function and prevent encapsulation. It has been extensively studied as a model system for host-parasitoid interactions, host selection behavior, and biological control potential.
Cardiochilinae
Cardiochilinae is a subfamily of braconid wasps comprising approximately 20 genera and 220+ species. Members are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera caterpillars. Females inject polydnavirus during oviposition to manipulate host immune response. Some species, notably Toxoneuron nigriceps, have been employed in biological control programs against agricultural pests.
Cheloninae
chelonine wasps
Cheloninae is a cosmopolitan subfamily of braconid parasitoid wasps, distinguished by a distinctive metasomal carapace formed from the fusion of the first three tergites. Members are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids that primarily attack Lepidoptera, particularly Pyraloidea and Tortricoidea. They are egg-larval parasitoids, ovipositing into host eggs but completing development only after the caterpillar hatches and matures. Chelonines carry polydnaviruses that aid in suppressing host immune responses.
Cotesia
Cotesia is a genus of braconid wasps widely recognized for their role as parasitoids of caterpillars. Female wasps use an ovipositor to deposit eggs inside host caterpillars, and simultaneously inject polydnaviruses that suppress the host's immune system. Developing wasp larvae feed on host tissues, then emerge through the skin and spin white silk cocoons on the exterior of the caterpillar. Several species are employed in biological control programs against agricultural pests.
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.
Cotesia empretiae
Saddleback Caterpillar Parasitoid Wasp
Cotesia empretiae is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae that specializes in attacking caterpillars, particularly the saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea). Females hunt actively on foliage, using their ovipositor to deposit eggs inside host caterpillars. The wasp larvae develop internally, eventually emerging through the host's skin to spin characteristic white silk cocoons on the exterior. Like other Cotesia species, this wasp transmits a polydnavirus during oviposition that suppresses the host's immune system, enabling successful parasitoid development.
Cotesia hemileucae
Cotesia hemileucae is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae that specializes in attacking caterpillars. It is a koinobiont endoparasitoid, meaning it develops inside a living host. The species is known to parasitize the saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea), a stinging limacodid caterpillar. Like other Cotesia species, it employs polydnaviruses to suppress the host immune system, enabling its larvae to develop successfully.
Hyposoter
Hyposoter is a large cosmopolitan genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Campopleginae. Species are koinobiont endoparasitoids that attack various holometabolan insects, primarily Lepidoptera. The genus exhibits substantial species diversity with over 70 species recognized in the Western Palaearctic region alone. Swiss studies indicate higher species richness at low altitudes, with only three species considered high-altitude specialists.
Hyposoter fugitivus
Hyposoter fugitivus is an ichneumonid parasitoid wasp first described by Thomas Say in 1835. Molecular studies have established that this species carries polydnavirus DNA integrated into its chromosomes, representing a stable symbiotic relationship. The polydnavirus is transmitted vertically and likely plays a role in manipulating host physiology during parasitism, though specific host associations remain undocumented in available sources.
Ichneumonoidea
Ichneumonid and Braconid Wasps
Ichneumonoidea is a superfamily of Hymenoptera containing two extant families: Ichneumonidae and Braconidae, the two largest families within the order. The group encompasses an estimated 100,000 species, the vast majority undescribed. Members are solitary parasitoid wasps whose larvae develop on or inside host insects, eventually killing them. The superfamily is defined morphologically by fusion of the costal and radial veins of the fore wing and typically more than 11 antennal segments.
Microgastrinae
Microgastrinae is a subfamily of braconid wasps containing approximately 3,000 described species, with an estimated total diversity of 30,000–50,000 species. Members are small koinobiont endoparasitoids of larval Lepidoptera, and represent one of the most species-rich groups of parasitoid wasps. They are distinguished by their 18-segmented antennae and association with polydnaviruses, which are essential for successful parasitism.
Toxoneuron
Toxoneuron is a genus of koinobiont endoparasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae. The best-studied species, Toxoneuron nigriceps, is a specialist parasitoid of the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens). Members of this genus develop internally within host larvae, with a distinctive post-egression feeding phase where larvae feed externally on host tissues before pupation. The genus exhibits sophisticated host manipulation mechanisms including polydnavirus-mediated immune suppression and teratocyte-derived physiological regulation.
Toxoneuron nigriceps
Toxoneuron nigriceps is a koinobiont endoparasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae. It is highly host-specific to the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, and historically provided substantial natural biological control in agricultural systems. The species exhibits complex host manipulation strategies including injection of polydnavirus, venom, and ovarian proteins during oviposition, followed by a distinctive postegression feeding phase where larvae exit the host to feed externally on liquefied tissues before pupation.
Tranosema
Tranosema is a genus of ichneumonid parasitoid wasps found in Europe and North America. Species in this genus are endoparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae, particularly tortricid moths. The best-studied species, T. rostrale, is a koinobiont parasitoid of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and transmits a polydnavirus (ichnovirus) to its host during oviposition, which alters host development and physiology.