Associate Professor University of Georgia Athens, Georgia
Parasitoid wasps are insects that survive as obligate parasites that eventually kill their insect hosts. One of the most spectacular biological innovations that has repeatedly arisen in parasitoid wasp lineages is the evolution of heritable associations with viruses. Parasitoid wasps use these viruses as biological weapons that they introduce into host insects to subdue host defenses and alter host physiology, thereby promoting successful parasitism. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of beneficial virus evolution, we aim to functionally and genetically characterize novel viruses, including those inherited by the wasps Fopius arisanus and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, which are important biological control (biocontrol) agents for many tropical fruit fly pests. Study of an endogenous nudivirus produced by F. arisanus wasps is still in an early stage, although new findings from the poxvirus carried by D. longicaudata suggest that this virus is a major contributing factor to D. longicaudata success as a generalist species and more broadly, as a highly effective biocontrol agent against fruit fly pests. Additionally, this research can be applied to future innovations in fruit fly biocontrol. F. arisanus and D. longicaudata are two of the most successful biocontrol agents used for fruit fly suppression in Hawaii, and they both produce heritable viruses, at least one of which is pathogenic to a wide range of important fruit fly pest species. Identification of the molecular processes used by these viruses to exploit fruit fly physiology could lead to novel control strategies that leverage naturally occurring virulence tactics against pest populations.
