Diversity and distribution of Wolbachia in relation to geography, host plant affiliation and life cycle of a heterogonic gall wasp.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The maternally inherited endosymbiont Wolbachia is widespread in arthropods and nematodes and can play an important role in the ecology and evolution of its host through reproductive manipulation. Here, we survey Wolbachia in Belonocnema treatae, a widely distributed North American cynipid gall forming wasp that exhibits regional host specialization on three species of oaks and alternation of sexually and asexually reproducing generations. We investigated whether patterns of Wolbachia infection and diversity in B. treatae are associated with the insect's geographic distribution, host plant association, life cycle, and mitochondrial evolutionary history.

Results

Screening of 463 individuals from 23 populations including sexual and asexual generations from all three

SUBMITTER: Schuler H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5870337 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature