> Although numerous studies have characterized the immune responses
> of insects to pathogens, comparatively little is known
> about the counterstrategies pathogens have evolved to circumvent
> host defenses. Among the most potent immunosuppressive
> pathogens of insects are *polydnaviruses* that are symbiotically
> associated with parasitoid wasps.

Honglada Thoetkiattikul, Markus H. Beck, and Michael R. Strand
Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602



* I think it is probably ill-advised to make generalizations about
insect immune systems at this point since so little is known about
them. The honey bee colony is further distinguished in being a
super-organism which has collective defenses in addition to the
internal defenses of the adult bees, and of course the developing
bees.

* One characteristic of the living world, however, is that is is
constantly changing and so a successful immune system must be able to
deal with new and different pathogens. To the extent that it can do
that, it succeeds and when it cannot, it fails. Survival of any given
species, breed or individual is never assured.

-- 
Peter L. Borst
Danby, NY  USA
42.35, -76.50
http://picasaweb.google.com/peterlborst

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