Wolbachia Infection in a Natural Parasitoid Wasp Population

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 5;10(8):e0134843. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134843. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The maternally transmitted bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is well known for spreading and persisting in insect populations through manipulation of the fitness of its host. Here, we identify three new Wolbachia pipientis strains, wHho, wHho2 and wHho3, infecting Hyposoter horticola, a specialist wasp parasitoid of the Glanville fritillary butterfly. The wHho strain (ST435) infects about 50% of the individuals in the Åland islands in Finland, with a different infection rate in the two mitochondrial (COI) haplotypes of the wasp. The vertical transmission rate of Wolbachia is imperfect, and lower in the haplotype with lower infection rate, suggesting a fitness trade-off. We found no association of the wHho infection with fecundity, longevity or dispersal ability of the parasitoid host. However, preliminary results convey spatial associations between Wolbachia infection, host mitochondrial haplotype and parasitism of H. horticola by its hyperparasitoid, Mesochorus cf. stigmaticus. We discuss the possibility that Wolbachia infection protects H. horticola against hyperparasitism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics*
  • Female
  • Fertility / genetics
  • Finland
  • Genetic Variation
  • Geography
  • Haplotypes
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / genetics*
  • Longevity / genetics
  • Male
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics*
  • Species Specificity
  • Wasps / classification
  • Wasps / genetics*
  • Wasps / microbiology
  • Wolbachia / classification
  • Wolbachia / genetics*
  • Wolbachia / physiology

Substances

  • Insect Proteins
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Electron Transport Complex IV

Grants and funding

The project was funded by the Academy of Finland (grant #255553 to SvN, 213547 and 250444 to SvN and IH, and 266021 to AD) and the Otto Malm foundation (grant to AD).