Midgut and salivary gland α-amylases are digestive enzymes required for the development of insects and have been investigated in some insect species. However， α-amylases in the endoparasitioid wasps have not been reported. Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a dominant endoparasitioid wasp that parasitizes many butterfly species， including the Brassicaceae pest Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Here， we studied the characteristics and functions of three α-amylases in P. puparum.

biological control，digestive tract，parasitoid wasps，venom，α-amy