Cotesia | |
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Male C. congregata courting an immobilized female (slow motion) | |
Male C. congregata courtship song | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Braconidae |
Subfamily: | Microgastrinae |
Genus: |
Cotesia Cameron, 1891 |
Cotesia is a genus of Braconid wasps. Some species parasitize caterpillars of species considered as pests. Thus they are used as biocontrol agents. Cotesia congregata parasitizes the tomato and the tobacco hornworms. C. glomerata and C. rubecula feed on the cabbage white and other white butterfly caterpillars.