Leptopilina Explained

Leptopilina is a genus of parasitoid wasp in the family Figitidae. The genus is best known for the three Drosophila parasitoids Leptopilina boulardi, Leptopilina heterotoma and Leptopilina clavipes, used to study host-parasite immune interactions. The venom released by L. heterotoma during oviposition contains virus-like particles that delay host larval development and suppress the host cellular immune response.^{[1] [2]} There is no evidence that these virus-like particles are the products of viral DNA as described in other parasitoid taxa.^[3]

L. japonica is a parasitoid of Drosophila suzukii which is an important pest in fruit production. It was first captured in November 2020 as bycatch from a Vespa mandarinia trap in Washington State - the first find of this species in the United States. This may help to control D. suzukii in North America.

Notes and References

1. Parasitoid virus-like particles destroy Drosophila cellular immunity.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 87. 21. 1990. 8388–8392. 10.1073/pnas.87.21.8388. 2122461. 54961. Rizki. R. M.. Rizki. T. M.. 1990PNAS...87.8388R. free.
2. Partial venom gland transcriptome of a Drosophila parasitoid wasp, Leptopilina heterotoma, reveals novel and shared bioactive profiles with stinging Hymenoptera. Gene. 526. 21. 2013. 195–204. 10.1016/j.gene.2013.04.080. 23688557. 3905606 . Heavner . ME . Gueguen . G . Rajwani . R . Pagan . PE . Small . C . Govind . S.
3. When parasitic wasps hijacked viruses: genomic and functional evolution of polydnaviruses. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 368. 1626. 2013. 10.1098/rstb.2013.0051. 23938758. 20130051. 3758193. Herniou. Elisabeth A.. Huguet. Elisabeth. Thézé. Julien. Bézier. Annie. Periquet. Georges. Drezen. Jean-Michel.