Focusing on the endoparasitoid wasp A. japonica, which parasitizes the model organism D. melanogaster, the research team identified two venom genes termed imaginal disc degradation factors (IDDFs).

Parasitoid wasps, belonging to the family Hymenoptera, deprive their insect and spider hosts of nutrition. These wasps represent approximately 20% of the 1 million insect species on Earth, making them ...