Polydnaviridae

Polydnaviriformidae ( PDV) is a family of insect viriforms; members are known as polydnaviruses. There are two genera in the family: Bracoviriform and Ichnoviriform. Polydnaviruses form a symbiotic relationship with parasitoid wasps. Ichnoviriforms (IV) occur in Ichneumonid wasps and Bracoviriforms (BV) in Braconid wasps. The larvae of wasps in both of those groups are themselves parasitic on Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), and the polydnaviruses are important in circumventing the immune response of their parasitized hosts. Little or no sequence homology exists between BV and IV, suggesti