''Microplitis croceipes'' is a

braconid The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

wasp native to the US state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. It is an important parasitoid of caterpillars, including those of major agricultural pests ''

Helicoverpa zea ''Helicoverpa zea, ''commonly known as the corn earworm, is a species (formerly in the genus ''Heliothis'') in the family Noctuidae. The larva of the moth ''Helicoverpa zea'' is a major agricultural pest. Since it is polyphagous (feeds on many ...

'' (formerly called ''Heliothis zea'') and ''

Heliothis virescens ''Chloridea virescens'', commonly known as the tobacco budworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae found throughout the eastern and southwestern United States along with parts of Central America and South America. It is a major pest of field cro ...

''. ''M. croceipes'' uses its antennae to detect the odor of caterpillar

frass Frass refers loosely to the more or less solid excreta of insects, and to certain other related matter. Definition and etymology ''Frass'' is an informal term and accordingly it is variously used and variously defined. It is derived from the ...

, or feces. The wasp deposits a single egg inside the caterpillar; as the wasp larvae mature they feed on the caterpillar, which weakens and dies after the larvae emerge and pupate. The wasp larvae then spin cocoons and pupate inside them. Adult wasps emerge after a week. Because the

olfactory system The olfactory system, or sense of smell, is the sensory system used for smelling ( olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses, that have directly associated specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an ...

of ''M. croceipes'' is linked to its taste receptors, wasps can be trained to respond to the smell of an arbitrary chemical if the smell is repeatedly presented in association with food (sugar water or caterpillars). The smell of "food" triggers a characteristic pattern of activity, a short-range host-seeking response. Researchers have said that ''M. croceipes'' has great potential for use as a biological sensor "due to its ability to be conditioned, respond and discriminate target odors from background odors." The

Wasp Hound Sniffer bees or sniffer wasps are insects in the order (biology), order Hymenoptera that can be trained to perform a variety of tasks to detect substances such as explosive materials or illegal drug trade, illegal drugs, as well as some human and ...

"portable nose" device depends on trained ''M. croceipes'' as its biosensor.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6839928 Braconidae Hymenoptera of North America Insects described in 1872 Taxa named by Ezra Townsend Cresson