Identification of odorant binding proteins in Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) is a parasitoid of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith). Members of the subfamily Telenominae have a narrow range of hosts and which they are known to locate by orienting to the semiochemicals of the adult stage of the host. These wasps also mate immediately after emerging from host eggs, so host-choice and mate-choice are linked together. Since chemosensation plays a major role in both mate-choice and host-finding, the evolution of chemosensory mechanisms may underlie the considerable diversity within this group. One of the main functions of odorant binding proteins (OBPs) is to aid in olfaction. Previous studies have identified the chemosensory receptors and the OBPs in Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston). Now that there is a chromosomal level genome available, we sought to identify the OBPs of Telenomus remus. We identified 18 OBP sequences in the Tel. remus genome. In addition, gene tree analyses suggest that several sequences are shared between Te. remus and Tr. basalis.