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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

Representative Images

Caterpillar - Cotesia congregata Green and white. 2 of them on tomato plant - Cotesia congregata Horn worm with vespid wasp cocoons - Cotesia congregata Empty pupae of Cotesia congregata - Cotesia congregata Cotesia congregata on Manduca sexta - Cotesia congregata Cotesia congregata Green Caterpillar. Possibly Tobacco Moth caterpillar? - 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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