Microplitis demolitor (Parasitoid wasp, Queensland-Clemson2020A) Assembly and Gene Annotation

About Microplitis demolitor

Microplitis is a genus of braconid wasps in the family Braconidae. There are more than 190 described species in Microplitis, found throughout the world.

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].

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Taxonomy ID 69319

(Text from Wikipedia and i5k.)

More information General information about this species can be found in Wikipedia

Assembly

The assembly presented here has been imported from INSDC and is linked to the assembly accession [GCA_026212275.2].

The total length of the assembly is 225878136 bp contained within 31 scaffolds. The scaffold N50 value is 23799781, the scaffold L50 value is 5. The GC% content of the assembly is 30.5%.

Annotation

The annotation presented is derived from annotation submitted to INSDC with the assembly accession GCA_026212275.2.

Ensembl Metazoa displaying genes imported from NCBI RefSeq annotation release vGCF_026212275.2-RS_2023_02. Small RNA features, protein features, BLAST hits and cross-references have been computed by Ensembl Metazoa.

References

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(link is external)).
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.