Polydnavirus

A polydnavirus /pɒˈlɪdnəvaɪrəs/ (PDV) is a member of the family Polydnaviridae of insect viruses. There are currently 53 species in this family, divided among 2 genera. Polydnaviruses form a symbiotic relationship with parasitoid wasps (ichnoviruses occur in ichneumonid wasps species and bracoviruses in braconid wasps), but these wasps are themselves parasitic on Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). Little or no sequence homology exists between BV and IV, suggesting that the two genera evolved independently for a long time. Group: dsDNAOrder: unassignedFamily: Polydnaviridae Viruses in Polydnaviridae are enveloped, with prolate ellipsoid and cylindrical geometries. Genomes are circular and segmented, composed of multiple segments of double-stranded, superhelical DNA packaged in capsid proteins. They are around 2.0–31kb in length.