Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Wasp Virus Turns Ladybugs into Zombie Babysitters


 
Viruses require a host in order to multiply and become active. The wasp virus is induced by a parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae. Also displaying parasitism a non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species where the parasite benefits at the expenses of its host. The host is needed to complete the lifecycle of the parasite. Since the parasite is using its hosts as a resource it is bound to cause the host to act differently.

 
The Dinocampus coccinellae turns female ladybugs into zombie babysitters. It lays its eggs inside the ladybug and injects a virus called D. coccinellae paralysis virus (DCPV).  The wasp larva lies inside and bursts out about three weeks later and forms a cocoon between the legs of the ladybug. The virus leaves the ladybug alive but paralyzes it when the larva bursts out. The ladybug is used to ward off predators until the adult wasp emerges a week later. In Science News it explains that the reason the wasp can enslave the ladybug is due to the virus. The virus attacks the ladybugs brain. In National Geographic a biologist at Stony broke University Nolween Dheillly explains DCPV is the first known virus involved in behavioral manipulation that benefits another species.  The ladybug is not only used to warn off predators but provides nutrition for the larva. While the larva is growing inside it eats the insides of the ladybug.

In the Science News, Dheilly and colleagues searched for what triggers the paralysis. They searched gene activity by sequencing RNA gene transcripts between the wasp larvae and ladybug. This led to the discovery of unfamiliar viral RNA in the brains of infected ladybugs not found in a healthy ladybug. This virus replicates and builds up in brains cells rapidly until just before the larva comes out the virus bursts open. The study also detected the virus only in the ladybug’s brain and is believed to infect the whole nervous system Researchers suggest that the paralysis can be due to the immune system of the ladybug. The immune genes activates when the larva emerges and attacks the DCPV- infected cells. Thus causing self- inflicted brain damage that temporarily paralyzes the ladybug just when the larva needs protection. The virus not only causes paralysis but tremors as well, this brain damage could be the cause of the defensive behavior the ladybug exhibits. There is still more research to be done on DCPV to prove if it is the cause of turning ladybugs into zombie babysitters. The relationship between parasites and hosts is crucial to understand because there could be other factors involved like the origin of virus and its connection to this relationship. There are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered and studies are still ongoing. 

Posted by Jazmin Granadeno (Group B)

8 comments:

  1. Nice Job. This is a fascinating subject, just the idea that this wasp has the capability to inject into its victim a virus that can essentially take over an organisms (ladybugs) mind is pretty cool. I thought the blog was very well written, and I also thought that you presented the information clearly. How exactly does the wasp acquire this virus? Is it something that the wasp is born with (genetic)?

    David Rains,

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  2. This is such an awesome topic. Parasitoid wasps are such fascinating little tricksters. You mentioned that Dinocampus coccinellae turns female ladybugs into "zombie babysitters". I was just wondering why female lady bugs? Do you know if males can get effected too?

    -Posted by Amanda Okpoebo

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    1. I've checked some other articles and some don't refer to a specific sex and some refer to a female. But it might target females more because it can offer the wasp larvae more nutrients but I will look into it more.
      Posted by Jazmin Granadeno

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  3. study is still ongoing about whether its just the female bugs that the wasp uses but its shown that the wasp also uses some other hosts like caterpillars in this symbiotic life. Also only about 1/3 of the hosts survive this ordeal.

    osuji chukwunonso

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  4. Great topic and good job presenting the information clearly and concisely. You mentioned that the ladybug, while paralyzed, protects the wasp eggs. How and from what does it do this?
    -Dan Staiculescu

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    1. Since it still being studied, the protective behavior can be due the build up of the virus in the brain. That causes paralysis that makes the ladybug twitch and lash out in defense to anything that comes near it. Or it can be due to the virus triggering it's neurons, leading to a thrashing behavior.
      Posted by Jazmin Granadeno

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  5. Great post, its amazing how the virus and the wasp have co-evolved into this twisted symbiotic relationship.

    -Daniel Bonkowski

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  6. Awesome job! I have always found non-mutual symbiotic relationships between species extremely interesting. While looking up these kinds of things I have come across what people like to call "zombie ants". If you google it it should come right up, but its a fungus that infects an ant's brain and uses the ant to crawl up high so that when the fungus is done growing, it can shoot out it's spores from a high place therefore distributing them to a larger area. The ants even have defense strategies against the fungus! Its freaky, I highly recommend checking it out.

    -Posted by Ashley Condon

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