Nature News · Feb 13, 2026 · Collected from RSS
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT 13 February 2026 A virus that became integrated into the wasp genome long ago is useful for subduing moth larvae. Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae serve as living incubators for eggs laid by a parasitic wasp. Credit: Nigel Cattlin/Nature Picture Library A parasitic wasp castrates its moth larvae hosts by injecting them with a ‘domesticated’ virus that causes cells in the larvae’s testes to die. Now, scientists know exactly how the virus does its dirty work. Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00411-4 Subjects Latest on: Zoology This bonobo had a pretend tea party — showing make believe isn’t just for humans News 05 FEB 26 Rete ridges form via evolutionarily distinct mechanisms in mammalian skin Article 04 FEB 26 Mosquito–capsid interactions contribute to flavivirus vector specificity Article 04 FEB 26