The uzifly, Exorista sorbillans (Diptera: Tachinidae), a parasitoid of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), harbours Wolbachia (Rickettsia) endosymbionts. Administration of 0.05 mg/ml oxytetracycline to the adult uziflies removed Wolbachia endosymbionts and resulted in different reproductive disorders, such as i) reduction in fecundity of uninfected females, ii) cytoplasmic incompatibility in crosses between infected males and uninfected females, iii) sterility in the crosses between both males and females from uninfected populations, and iv) sex-ratio distortion in uninfected females irrespective of the presence of Wolbachia in males. However, tetracycline treatment did not have much effect on longevity of the uzifly. These results suggest that the interaction of Wolbachia with its uzifly host is one of mutual symbiosis as it controls the reproductive physiology of its hosts.
Wolbachia is a ubiquitous, Gram-negative,vertically transmitted, alpha-proteobacterium that causes an array of reproductive abnormalities including cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization of genetic males, parthenogenesis in a number of insect species, among others. Wolbachia is now being exploited as an agent for pest and vector control. Previous surveys indicated that it is commonly seen in 16-76% of arthropods. In this paper, using polymerase chain reaction assay based on specific amplification of the ftsZ -A and -B supergroup Wolbachia gene fragments, we found that 30% of insects and pests screened were positive for Wolbachia. Among them 66.7% harbour double Wolbachia infection, while 33.3 % harbour single Wolbachia infection. These results indicate widespread infection with both double and single Wolbachia, and provide a wealth of information to exploit this endobacterium for the management of pests and vectors.
The cytoplasmically inherited bacterial symbiont, Wolbachia is well known for inducing a variety of reproductive abnormalities in the diverse arthropod hosts it infects. Wolbachia has been implicated in causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, and the feminization of genetic males in different hosts. In the present investigation, electron microscopy and PCR technology was applied on uzi flies of Exorista species (Diptera: Tachinidae), serious pests of silkworm Bombyx mori L. TEM examination of uzi flies of Exorista species showed Wolbachia in the reproductive tissues. Details of the ultrastructure of Wolbachia are described. The application of PCR technique revealed that the Wolbachia is present in uzi fly populations of Exorista species collected from different localities. Thereby it creates a lot of scope for future research on the management of uzi flies by means of Wolbachia.
Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited endosymbionts known to cause several reproductive alterations in insects which allow their spread in host populations. In the Uzifly Exorista sorbillans, endoparasites of silkworms, the prevalence of Wolbachia is high in the field. In the present study, we investigated Wolbachia's effects on the Uzifly fitness traits by measuring fecundity and hatching rate in crosses involving infected and cured individuals. We found evidence for positive fitness effects associated with Wolbachia infection in females which could help promote the spread of Wolbachia in E. sorbillans populations. We tested two types of treatments for removing Wolbachia, antibiotic therapy and high temperature treatment and found an influence on the reproduction: females treated by antibiotics have a lower fecundity than females cured by high temperature which could indicate a negative effect of the antibiotherapy on females' fitness. Furthermore, the monitoring of the Uzifly populations during 2 years revealed seasonal variations of the offspring production which may be linked to temperature.
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