title: Cotesia parasitoid wasps and their endogenous viruses: harmonious relationships in an old couple
organism: Cotesia congregata
description: Parasitoid wasps of the genus Cotesia, which develop within caterpillars, have been used worldwide for biological control. One of the critical factors for impact of these parasitoid wasps on their pest hosts is possession of a bracovirus, an endogenous virus lineage associated with tens of thousands of parasitoid wasp species. Injected with the wasp eggs, bracovirus particles alter the caterpillar immune defenses, allowing parasite development.