Wolbachia in two populations of Melittobia digitata Dahms (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Abstract

Neotropical Entomology 37(6): 633-640 (2008) Wolbachia en Dos Poblaciones de Melittobia digitata Dahms (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) RESUMEN -Se investigaron dos poblaciones de Melittobia digitata Dahms, un parasitoide gregario (principalmente sobre un rango amplio de abejas solitarias, avispas y moscas), en busca de infección por Wolbachia. La primera población, provenía de Xalapa, México, y fue originalmente colectada y criada sobre pupas de la Mosca Mexicana de la Fruta, Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae). La segunda población, originaria de Athens, Georgia, fue colectada y criada sobre prepupas de avispas de barro, Trypoxylon politum Say (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Estudios de PCR de la región ITS2 confi rmaron que ambas poblaciones del parasitoide pertenecen a la misma especie; lo que nos provee de un perfi l molecular taxonómico muy útil debído a que las hembras de las diversas especies de Melittobia son superfi cialmente similares. La amplifi cación del gen de superfi cie de proteina (wsp) de Wolbachia confi rmó la presencia de este endosimbionte en ambas poblaciones. La ejecución de la secuencia reveló que Wolbachia alojada en ambas poblaciones exibe un wsp que pertenece a un subgrupo único (denominado aquí como Dig) dentro del supergrupo B de los genes wsp conocidos. Este nuevo subgrupo de wsp podría pertenecer o a un lineaje de Wolbachia de los previamente conocidos infectando a Melittobia o podría ser el resultado de algún evento recombinante. En cualquier caso, los huéspedes conocidos de Wolbachia con un wsp en este subgrupo están relacionados taxonómicamente en forma lejana. Se presentan razones posibles del por qué Melittobia -un parasitoide fácil de criar y manipular -es prometedor como un organismo modelo conveniente para el estudio de líneas de Wolbachia entre diversos huéspedes.PALABRAS CLAVE: Parasitoide, chalcidoide, endosimbionte, transmisión horizontal ABSTRACT -We investigated two populations of Melittobia digitata Dahms, a gregarious parasitoid (primarily upon a wide range of solitary bees, wasps, and fl ies), in search of Wolbachia infection. The fi rst population, from Xalapa, Mexico, was originally collected from and reared on Mexican fruit fl y pupae, Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae); the other, from Athens, Georgia, was collected from and reared on prepupae of mud dauber wasps, Trypoxylon politum Say (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). PCR studies of the ITS2 region corroborated that both parasitoid populations were the same species; this potentially provides a useful molecular taxonomic profi le since females of Melittobia species are superfi cially similar. Amplifi cation of the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp) confi rmed the presence of this endosymbiont in both populations. Sequencing revealed that the Wolbachia harbored in both populations exhibited a wsp belonging to a unique subgroup (denoted here as Dig) within the B-supergroup of known wsp genes. This new subgroup of wsp may either belong to a different strain of Wolbachia from those previously found to in...

Evaluating the quality of the Mexican fruit-fly, Anastrepha ludens, as host for the parasitoid Melittobia digitata

“…Our data confirmed that M. digitata is present in Mexico as a natural parasitoid of mud dauber wasps of the genus Trypoxylon and Sceliphron. Furthermore we also confirmed the natural host-parasitoid association M. digitata with A. ludens from at least 1997 (Copeland et al, 2008;. Considering that pupae of the Mexican fruit fly have been found parasitized by M. digitata in at least three locations in Mexico (Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz; Soconusco, Chiapas; and Michoacán), it seems unlikely that parasitism could be coincidental even if such possibility cannot be completely excluded 2010).…”

“…The first species was found attacking wasps (Hymenoptera) such as Euodynerus hidalgo vierecki (Cameron) (Vespidae), Chrysis wasbaueri Bohart (Chrysididae) and Sceliphron spp. (Sphecidae), while the latter has been found attacking Trypoxylon mexicanum (Saussure) (Crabronidae), but was unexpectedly recorded from pupae of the pestiferous tephritid fly Anastrepha ludens Loew (Tephritidae) also known as the Mexican fruit fly (Copeland et al, 2008;González et al, , 2010. Anastrepha ludens is a very important pest of citrus and mango in Mexico and Central America (Hernández-Ortiz, 1992;Aluja, 1994;Aluja et al, 1996Aluja et al, , 2009Birke et al, 2006).…”