Cotesia marginiventris is also known by the name of Apanteles marginiventris
Male Cotesia marginiventris seek out mates by following the pheromone trails produced by females of the species. Additionally, females are believed to locate hosts by following trails of volatile chemicals that are produced by hosts as they feed. The attraction of these wasps to the volatiles produced by insects feeding on maize has been the focus of much scientific research.
Communication Channels: visual ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; vibrations
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Currently, they are no apparent risks to this species. It is also unlikely that the Cotesia marginiventris population will be at risk in the near future, due to interest in them as a biological control agent.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
In the wild, adult female Cotesia marginiventris will usually deposit one egg in each noctuid moth larval host. Within two days the egg hatches into the first larval instar. The larvae then molt twice inside the host before emerging, killing the host, and immediately spinning a cocoon of roughly 4 mm in length on whichever surface it lands. At roughly 13 days from the implantation of the egg, the adult emerges from the cocoon fully developed. Although reproductively active immediately, the average adult has roughly 1 week to reproduce before death.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
To date, there are no known economic issues caused by the presence of these parasitoid wasps.
Because of the nature of Cotesia marginiventris as a noctuid larval parasitoid, it has proven to be a great asset to thousands of farmers growing a wide variety of crops damaged by species of Noctuidae. Specifically, C. marginiventris has been shown to be most effective at controlling herbivore populations feeding on maize due to an attraction to a certain blend of volatile chemicals produced from larvae feeding on the corn.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
The most notable role of Cotesia marginiventris is the population control it provides for the numerous species it parasitizes. These parasitic wasps mostly parasitize moths of the Noctuidae family. Additionally, C. marginiventris are known to directly affect the populations of other parasitic wasps such as Microplitis croceipes and Cardiochiles nigriceps by interspecific competition between the larval phases of the parasites. When multiple wasp eggs are present within the same host, the egg that is laid first is usually the only one to successfully hatch and mature into an adult. Commonly parasitized species include: black cutworms (Agrotis ipsilon), celery loopers (Anagrapha falcifera), common loopers (Autographa precationis), bean leaf-skeletonizers (Autoplusia egena), corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), tobacco budworms (Heliothis virescens), spotted beet webworms (Hymenia perspectalis), Hawaiian beet webworms (Hymenia recurvalis), Leucania latiuscula, variegated cutworms (Peridroma saucia), Plathypena scabra, armyworms (Pseudaletia unipuncta), soybean loopers (Pseudoplusia includens), Scotorythra caryopsis, southern armyworms (Spodoptera eridania), beet armyworms (Spodoptera exigua), fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda), Spodoptera ornithogalli, Spodoptera praefica, and cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni).
Ecosystem Impact: parasite
Species Used as Host:
Adult C. marginiventris require a sugar source and are known to feed from the nectar of flowers as well as from the honeydew excretions of aphids. Female C. marginiventris lay eggs within an insect host, which will serve as nourishment for the developing larvae. As a generalist parasitoid, C. marginiventris larvae feed on the internal structures from a variety of insect larvae. Some of the species that are host to larvae include: black cutworms, celery loopers, common loopers, bean leaf-skeletonizers, corn earworms, tobacco budworms, spotted beet webworms, Hawaiian beet webworms, Leucania latiuscula, variegated cutworms, Plathypena scabra, armyworms, soybean loopers, Scotorythra caryopsis, cabbage loopers and several species of Spodoptera, including southern armyworms, beet armyworms, fall armyworms, Spodoptera ornithogalli, and Spodoptera praefica.
Animal Foods: blood; body fluids; insects
Plant Foods: nectar
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Cotesia marginiventris populations can be located throughout South and Central America as well as lower North America. In warmer months, individuals can be found as far north as the state of Wisconsin. This species may also be found in Hawaii as it was brought in to act as a biological control agent against agricultural pests such as armyworms, African armyworms, lawn armyworms, and cabbageworms.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced )
Cotesia marginiventris eggs and larval instars live inside of one of many possible invertebrate hosts, usually a noctuid moth, moving about all areas of the host body. An adult C. marginiventris is very adaptable, only requiring non-freezing temperatures, a sugar source, and a host to deposit parasitoid larvae into. Areas most likely to support populations of C. marginiventris include grasslands and forests within temperate and tropical zones. They often parasitize agricultural insect pests, and thus are frequently found in farm fields.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
Similar to many other semelparous organisms, C. marginiventris lives only shortly after completing reproduction. For this species, the entire process normally takes between 22 and 30 days.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 22 to 30 days.
Similar to related parasitoid wasps, eggs of C. marginiventris resemble grains of rice, appearing as clear elongated ovals. The larval stages change from translucent and white to opaque and brown as they grow and toughen. Adult wasps can be recognized by a black head and thorax accompanied by a tan abdomen. Additionally, the males and females share long segmented antennae while only the females bare an elongated ovipositor. Both males and females average 3 mm in length.
Average length: 3 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; venomous
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes shaped differently
There are no known specific predators of Cotesia marginiventris. However, numerous birds as well as amphibians and other insects are known to opportunistically feed upon wasps.
In order to reproduce, males locate the females by following pheromone trails. Once a female is located, a male fans its wings to signal to the female that he is ready to mate. If the female does not jump away or click it's wings, then the male mounts the female. Most likely due to the disparity in the male/female ratio of Cotesia marginiventris, the male will attempt to mate multiple times, while the female mates once and rejects further attempts to mate. Currently, there are no known traits that influence mate preference.
Mating System: polygynous
The breeding season of Cotesia marginiventris varies depending on location, ceasing to occur when temperatures stay below 10 degrees Celcius. This usually limits the breeding season to spring and summer months. Cotesia marginiventris is a semelparous species, and females will only mate once within their short lifespans. Though not required for mating, intake of sugars from aphids or nectar may greatly increase the fecundity of females. Mated females may oviposit at several different locations but the eggs are all a result of a single mating. Females may lay an average of 150 eggs in laboratory conditions. The acts of reproduction and oviposition of Cotesia marginiventris occur during daylight hours. Cotesia marginiventris are sexually mature upon emerging from pupae as adults, which occurs at 12 or 13 days of age.
Breeding interval: Individual Cotesia marginiventris breed once yearly within their short lifespans.
Breeding season: The breeding season for Cotesia marginiventris is generally during spring and summer months, when temperatures are above 10 C.
Average eggs per season: 150 (when lab cultured).
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 13 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 12 days.
Key Reproductive Features: semelparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; induced ovulation ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
As with most other parasitoid wasps, Cotesia marginiventris displays no parental investment.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)
Cotesia marginiventris is a species of parasitoid wasp that develops in Noctuidae caterpillars. It can be found in the Americas. The wasp finds caterpillar hosts to rear its young in by detecting the volatiles produced by the plants that the herbivorous caterpillars feed on. [3]
Cotesia marginiventris is a species of parasitoid wasp that develops in Noctuidae caterpillars. It can be found in the Americas. The wasp finds caterpillar hosts to rear its young in by detecting the volatiles produced by the plants that the herbivorous caterpillars feed on.
