Microplitis demolitor

Microplitis demolitor is a parasitoid wasp in the hymenopteran family Braconidae. It is native to eastern Australia but has been introduced into the United States as a biological control agent [1]. M. demolitor parasitizes several species of Lepidoptera that are important agricultural pests including Helicoverpa punctigera, H. armigera, and Chrysodeixis includens [1,2]. Female M. demolitor parasitize the larval stage of host species by laying one or more eggs into the body cavity (hemocoel). After hatching, wasp larvae develop by primarily feeding on blood. Usually a single mature wasp larva emerges from the host in 7-8 days to spin a cocoon and pupate followed by emergence of an adult wasp several days later.

Like most Hymenoptera, M. demolitor is haplo-diploid with unfertilized eggs developing into males and fertilized eggs developing into females [3]. M. demolitor also belongs to a complex in the family Braconidae that carry symbiotic viruses in the genus Bracovirus [4]. M. demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) persists as a provirus in every individual while replicating specifically in females. Female M. demolitor inject MdBV into hosts when laying eggs. The virus thereafter infects different cells of the host larva and expresses genes that the wasp offspring rely upon for successful development [5].

References cited

1. Shepard, M., Powell, J. E., Jones, W.E. Jr. 1983. Biology of Microplitis demolitor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), an imported parasitoid of Heliothis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) spp. and the soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Environ. Entomol. 12, 641-645.
2. Microplitis demolitor and ascovirus: Important natural enemies of Helicoverpa. 2005. Queensland (Australia) Government Bulletin. ISSN 0727-6273 QI04079 (https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/.../Insects-Microplitis-ascovirus.pdf).
3. Strand, M.R., Johnson, J.A., Culin, J.D., 1988. Developmental Interactions between the Parasitoid Microplitis demolitor (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) and Its Host Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 81, 822-830.
4. Burke GR, Walden KK, Whitfield JB, Robertson HM, Strand MR. Widespread genome reorganization of an obligate virus mutualist. PLoS genetics. 2014 Sep 10-9:e1004660.
5. Strand MR, Burke GR. Polydnaviruses: Natures Genetic Engineers. Annual review of virology. 2014 Nov 1-1:333-54.

Genome update. Previously, the i5k Workspace@NAL hosted Microplitis demolitor genome assembly Mdem2 (GCF_000572035.2) and NCBI Microplitis demolitor Annotation Release 101. The assembly and annotations have been updated to the most recent Ag100Pest assembly, iyMicDemo2.1a (GCF_026212275.2) (https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/datasets/genome/GCF_026212275.2/), and annotations, NCBI Microplitis demolitor Annotation Release GCF_026212275.2-RS_2023_02 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/annotation_euk/Microplitis_demolitor/GCF_026212275.2-RS_2023_02/).

This genome project is part of the Ag100Pest project (http://i5k.github.io/ag100pest)