Polydisperse viral DNA's in ichneumonid ovaries: a survey.

Viruses are described from several genera of ichneumonid parasitoids. New morphologic categories have been observed, one of which is similar to typical baculoviruses. Calyx particles from several species were found to contain polydisperse DNA's. An electrophoretic method for screening individual field-collected wasps for the presence of such DNA's is reported. DNA profiles obtained by this procedure were sufficiently consistent, within any particular affected species, to suggest that they could provide useful taxonomic information.