Abstract
Drino inconspicuoides (Diptera: Tachinidae) is an endoparasitoid that develops inside the lepidopteran host. When the larva of D. inconspicuoides penetrates into the host, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the larva creates a cap-like structure, called the funnel, by using host hemocytes, forming a respiratory attachment to permit efficient respiration. A newly described cloudy and cottony structure, called the "cloak", is formed outside the funnel within 24 h of parasitism. The cloak contains the host fat body and hemocytes. In this study, we aimed to clarify the function of the cloak, which has to date remained unknown. We hypothesized that the funnel generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) through melanization, and that the cloak detoxifies them. We confirmed that the black pigments of the funnel were caused by melanization, which inevitably generates ROS that are potentially harmful to the D. inconspicuoides larva inside the funnel. The cloak showed high activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. These results suggest that the cloak scavenged the ROS from the melanized funnel through the diversion of antioxidant enzymes in the fat body, thereby protecting the D. inconspicuoides larva from oxidative damage.