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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » "Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps » Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps (Ichneumonoidea) » Braconid Wasps (Braconidae) » Microgastrinae » Cotesia » Hornworm Parasitoid Wasp (Cotesia congregata)

Species Cotesia congregata - Hornworm Parasitoid Wasp

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Caterpillar with eggs? - Cotesia congregata

Tomato worm with eggs - Cotesia congregata

parasitized caterpillar - Cotesia congregata

Cotesia congregatus: Parasitoid Braconid Wasp of Tomato Hornworm: Side view - Cotesia congregata

Cotesia congregata emerging from pupa - Cotesia congregata

Cotesia congregata? - Cotesia congregata

Wasp cocoons on tomato horn worm - Cotesia congregata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)

Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps)

Family Braconidae (Braconid Wasps)

Subfamily Microgastrinae

Genus Cotesia

Species congregata (Hornworm Parasitoid Wasp)

Other Common Names

Tobacco Hornworm Parasitoid Wasp

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Apanteles (Protapanteles) augustus, Microgaster congregatus, Microgaster utilis

Food

Caterpillars, primarily Manduca sexta or tobacco hornworm. Also a number of other ecologically related sphingid caterpillars (hornworms):(1)

Ceratomia catalpae (Boisduval, 1875) - catalpa hornworm

Darapsa myron (Cramer, 1780) - virginia creeper hornworm

Darapsa versicolor (Harris, 1839) - hydrangea hornworm

Dolba hylaeus (Drury, 1773) - pawpaw hornworm

Eumorpha acheman (Drury, 1773) - Acheman hornworm

Eumorpha pandoras (Hübner, 1821) - Pandora hornworm

Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval, 1836) - snowberry hornworm

Lapara bombycoides Walker, 1856 - northern pine horntail

Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth, 1803) - tomato hornworm

Paratrea plebeja (Fabricius, 1777) - Plebeian hornworm

Sphecodina abbottii (Swainson, 1821) - Abbot's hornworm

Sphinx chersis (Hübner, 1823) - great ash hornwowm

Sphinx kalmiae J.E. Smith, 1797 - laurel hornworm

Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, 1803) - cabbage looper moth caterpillar

Life Cycle

Cocoons and adults emerging from cocoons

Remarks

The most significant parasitoid of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

"Our field studies are beginning to show that these Cotesia species are highly host-specific, and that some similar-looking species that attack related hosts may actually be genetically, if not very morphologically, distinct. The host of Cotesia congregata (Say) that was originally studied was Manduca sexta, so the wasps from catalpa sphinx may possibly be different, but as far as we know now they are not." -Dr. James B. Whitfield, University of Illinois (11/12/2008)

Cocoons on Manduca sexta.

Cocoons on Ceratomia catalpae.

Cocoons on Sphinx kalmiae.

Cocoons on Darapsa myron.

Cocoons on Dolba hyloeus.

Cocoons on Deidamia inscriptum.

Cocoons on Hemaris diffinis.

Cocoons on Eumorpha pandorus.

Internet References

U. of Kentucky

Sharkey Lab.

TAMU

U. Florida

Works Cited

1.	Marsh, Paul M. Braconidae catalog — in Krombein et al. (1979) Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 21 July, 2007 - 4:46pm
Additional contributions by ceiseman, PaleoJon
Last updated 20 September, 2021 - 12:03am

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