Virgin birth infections shift wasp targets

Scientists have found a second bacterial infection that can cause an insect version of virgin births. And this one can do a new trick.

Parasitic Encarsia wasps, less than a millimeter long, catch a novel infection. J.K. Clark/M. Rose

Not only does this bacterium cause unfertilized female wasps to produce daughters, but it can also affect which insects the female wasps inject with a fatal dose of eggs, says Molly S.