Abstract
The reproductive alterations induced by maternally inherited α-proteo-bacteria Wolbachia to their hosts is a well-document- ed phenomenon. In Nesolynx thymus, a gregarious hymenopterous ecto-pupal parasitoid of the uzifly, Exorista sorbillans, diagnostic PCR assay using specific primers revealed the presence of Wolbachia. Following genetic crossing experiments, we observed a female biased sex ratio of 1 : 9.5 at 25°C and 1 : 3 male to female ratio when the populations were exposed to heat shock 33°C for six hours. Furthermore, we found infection polymorphism, where female parasitoids are infected by Wolbachia but males are not infected. In- fected eggs develop into females, whereas uninfected eggs develop parthenogenetically into males. The results are discussed in the context of the possible mechanism of sex-ratio bias caused by Wolbachia.
Highlights
Wolbachia is a genus of maternally inherited intracellular α-proteobacteria which infect a wide range of arthropods and nematodes (Werren, 1997; Braig et al, 1998; Stouthamer et al, 1999), estimated to occur in about 66% of all known insect species (Hilgenboecker et al, 2008)
Temperature treatment for 6 h at 33°C on one-day-old adult parasitoids revealed a reduction in the total offspring number of 23.5% compared to parasitoids reared at 25°C
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay confirmed the absence of Wolbachia in male offspring, whose parents had been exposed to heat shock, and produced a greater number of males, in turn indicating that temperature had a negative effect on the parasitoid-Wolbachia association
Summary
Wolbachia is a genus of maternally inherited intracellular α-proteobacteria which infect a wide range of arthropods and nematodes (Werren, 1997; Braig et al, 1998; Stouthamer et al, 1999), estimated to occur in about 66% of all known insect species (Hilgenboecker et al, 2008). We for the first time screened Wolbachia infection in N. thymus using a diagnostic PCR approach in order to determine whether or not the bacteria do play a role in the reproduction of the parasitoid. Single female and male parasitoids were placed in 100 ml conical flasks covered with muslin cloth and provided with 20 two day old uzifly pupae.
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