Cotesia vestalis explained

Cotesia vestalis is a parasitoid wasp that appears to be able to detect volatile organic compounds emitted by the plant Brassica oleracea in response to herbivore damage, such as would be caused (for example) by heavy infestation with the wasp's host caterpillar Plutella xylostella.^[1]

Diseases

Cotesia vestalis suffers from a polydnavirus, Cotesia vestalis bracovirus.

External links

• YouTube video of C. vestalis attacking host caterpillars
• Photograph of C. vestalis

Notes and References

1. Robbie D. Girling . Alex Stewart-Jones . Julie Dherbecourt . Joanna T. Staley . Denis J. Wright . Guy M. Poppy . 2011 . Parasitoids select plants more heavily infested with their caterpillar hosts: a new approach to aid interpretation of plant headspace volatiles . . 278 . 1718 . 2646–2653 . 10.1098/rspb.2010.2725 . 21270031 . 3136836.