Cotesia typhae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is a small insect (body length 2.4 mm) that is an obligate parasite of the larvae of the moth Sesamia nonagrioides. It was first identified in East Africa as a host-specialized population of its sister species Cotesia and sesamiae. In 2017 it was characterized as a new species, based on studies on genetic differentiation, ecological specialisation, reproductive isolation (Kaiser et al. 2015) and morphological differences (Kaiser et al. 2017). Strains studied in the CoteBio project originate from two Kenyan localities, Makindu and Kobodo and are reared at the icipe of Nairobi and at EGCE.
Life cycle of Cotesia typhae
