Cotesia congregata Catalpae genome sequencing

Cotesia congregata has been widely used as a model species to study the interaction between endoparasitoid wasps and their parasitized hosts involving symbiotic viruses (polydnaviruses) produced in wasp ovaries and injected during oviposition within host body. Recent studies have shown that populations parasitizing Manduca sexta and Ceratomia catalpae were incipient species. This genome correspond to C. congregata specialized on the host Ceratomia catalpae.