Pieris rapae; HYMENOPTERAN-PARASITES; Cotesia rubecula; Passive protection of parasitoid egg by virus like protein Cotesia rubecula; PROTEINS-; Virus like protein, passive protection of egg within lepidopteran host; EGG-; Passive protection by virus like protein within lepidopteran host; LEPIDOPTERAN-HOSTS; Pieris rapae; Passive protection of parasitoid egg by virus like protein Some endoparasitic wasps produce a virus-containing calyx fluid that is deposited together with the egg into the host organism, where it is involved in the protection of the developing parasitoid against the host's defence reaction. A calyx fluid protein that is structurally related to a virus protein was identified on the egg surface of the braconid wasp Cotesia rubecula (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). The protein layer provides a passive protection of the egg against the defense reaction of the host Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) during the temporal gap between oviposition and inactivation of the host immune system by polydnaviruses. none