Cotesia glomerata, the white butterfly parasite, is a small parasitoid wasp belonging to family Braconidae. It was describedbyCarl Linnaeus in his 1758 publication 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
| Cotesia glomerata | |
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| Cotesia glomerata | |
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| Cotesia glomerata on a pupal cocoon. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Braconidae |
| Genus: | Cotesia |
| Species: |
C. glomerata
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| Binomial name | |
| Cotesia glomerata | |
| Synonyms | |
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The adults of Cotesia glomerata can reach a length of 3–7 millimetres (0.12–0.28 in). This small braconid wasp is black, with two pairs of wings. It can parasitize a wide range of Pieris butterfly species as host, but the large white (Pieris brassicae) and small white (Pieris rapae) are the main hosts. The adults feed on nectar. [2]
After hatching from the pupae, females mate almost immediately and begin laying eggs.[3] The eggs are laid in the larvae of butterflies known as caterpillars, where the C. glomerata larvae develop; multiple eggs numbering between 16–52 are deposited in each caterpillar.[4] After 15 to 20 days the larvae emerge, usually killing the parasitised caterpillar. These newly emerged larvae spin cocoons in a cluster on or nearby the host caterpillar; after 7 to 10 days the imago adult wasps hatch from these cocoons. Males typically emerge before females and disperse from the area.[5] Overall, it takes between 22 and 30 days for an egg to develop to full adulthood. [3]
Cotesia glomerata is in turn parasitized by the hyperparasite wasps Lysibia nana and Gelis agilis.[6]
This species is present in most of Europe, in the Afrotropical realm, the Australasian realm, the Nearctic realm, and the Neotropical realm.[7]