Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wolbachia Infections Responsible for Thelytoky in Dryinid Wasps. The Case of Gonatopus bonaerensis Virla (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)

  • Systematics, Morphology and Physiology
  • Published:
Neotropical Entomology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied the occurrence of Wolbachia in the parasitoid Gonatopus bonaerensis Virla (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae). In order to verify the existence of natural infections in the parasitoid, a field survey was conducted. Identification of Wolbachia was performed on the basis of 16S rDNA, wsp_F1, and wsp_R1-sequences. After the detection of the bacteria, infected specimens of G. bonaerensis were treated with a solution of tetracycline. In Tucumán, parasitoids hold Wolbachia endosymbiont, which seems to control the wasp’s reproduction in the nature turning it into thelytokous. The symbiont was identified as the Wolbachia sp. wRi strain. The cure of infected unfertilized females determined the normal arrhenotokous parthenogenesis and the production of male offspring. As a consequence of this procedure, the male of G. bonaerensis is described for the first time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arakaki N, Noda H, Yamagishi K (2000) Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis in the egg parasitoid Telenomus nawai. Entomol Exp Appl 96:177–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gan B, Zhou W, Feng L, Shen D, Li C (2002) Infection of Wolbachia in three planthopper species in China. Acta Entomol Sinica 45:14–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gauld I, Bolton B (1988) The Hymenoptera. Oxford Univ. Press, in association with Brithis Museum (Nat. History), p 332

  • Giorgini M (2001) Induction of males in thelitokous populations of Encarsia meritoria and Encarsia protransvena. A systematic tool. BioControl 46:427–438

  • Guglielmino A, Virla EG (1998) Postembryonic development of Gonatopus lunatus Klug (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Gonatopodinae) with notes on its biology. Ann Soc Entomol Fr 34:321–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmino A, Olmi M, Bückle C (2013) An updated host-parasite catalogue of world Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Zootaxa 3740:1–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jamnongluk W, Kittayapong P, Baimai V, O’Neill SL (2002) Wolbachia infections of Tephritid fruit flies: molecular evidence for five distinct strains in a single host species. Curr Microbiol 45:255–260

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klasson L, Westberg J, Sapountzis P, Naslund K, Lutnaes Y, Darby AC, Veneti Z, Chen L, Braig HR, Garrett R, Bourtzis K, Andersson SG (2009) The mosaic genome structure of the Wolbachia wRi strain infecting Drosophila simulans. P Natl Acad Sci Usa 106:5725–5730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazur MA, Holecová M, Lachowska-Cierlik D, Lis A, Kubisz D, Kajtoch Ł (2016) Selective sweep of Wolbachia and parthenogenetic host genomes—the example of the weevil Eusomus ovulum. Insect Mol Biol. doi:10.1111/imb.12255

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noda H, Miyoshi T, Zhang Q, Watanabe K, Deng K, Hoshizaki S (2001) Wolbachia infection shared among planthoppers (Homoptera: Delphacidae) and their endoparasite (Strepsiptera: Elenchidae): a probable case of interspecies transmission. Mol Ecol 10:2101–2106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Normark BB (2003) The evolution of alternative genetic systems in insects. Annu Rev Entomol 48:397–423

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill SL, Giordano R, Colbert AME, Karr TL, Robertson HM (1992) 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis of the bacterial endosymbionts associated with cytoplasmic incompatibility in insects. P Natl Acad Sci Usa 89:2699–2702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill SL, Hoffmann AA, Werren JH (1997) Influential passengers, inherited microorganisms and arthropod reproduction. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, p. 232

    Google Scholar 

  • Olmi M (1994) The Dryinidae and Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica Vol 30, Brill, p 98

  • Olmi M (1999) Hymenoptera Dryinidae – Embolemidae. Fauna d’Italia 37, Edizioni Calderini, Bologna: I-XVI, p 425

  • Olmi M (2000) Bio-ecologia degli Imenotteri Driinidi e loro impiego in programmi di lotta biologica. In: Lucchi A (ed) La Metcalfa negli ecosistemi italiani. ARSIA, Firenze, pp. 93–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Olmi M, Virla EG (2014) Dryinidae of the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Zootaxa 3792:1–534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olmi M, Virla EG, Fernández FC (2000) Las Avispas Dryinidae de la Región Neotropical (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Biota Colomb 1:141–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Plantard O, Solignac M (1998) Wolbachia-induced thelytoky in cynipids. U S For Serv Gen Tech Rep NC 199:111–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Plantard O, Rasplus JY, Mondor G, Le Clainche I, Solignac M (1999) Distribution and phylogeny of Wolbachia inducing thelytoky in Rhoditini and ‘Aylacini’ (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). Insect Mol Biol 8:185–191

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rasgon JL, Ren X, Petridis M (2006) Can Anopheles gambiae be infected with Wolbachia pipientis? Insights from an in vitro system. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:7718–7722

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rousset F, De Stordeur E (1994) Properties of Drosophila simulans experimentally infected by different clones of the bacterium Wolbachia. Heredity 72:325–331

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stouthamer R, Breeuwer JAJ, Luck RF, Werren JH (1993) Molecular identification of microorganisms associated with parthenogenesis. Nature 631:66–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virla EG (1997) New species of Gonatopodinae from the Neotropics (Hymenoptera Dryinidae). Boll Soc Entomol Ital 129:171–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Virla EG (2004) Biología de Gonatopus bonaerensis (Hymenoptera: Drynidae), enemigo natural de Delphacidae (Hemiptera) en Argentina. Rev Fac Agr La Plata 105:18–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Virla EG, Olmi M (2007) New records of Dryinidae from Argentina and descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Boll Zool Agr Bachicol 39:165–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Virla EG, Olmi M (2008) Dryinidae. In: Debandi G, Claps LE, Roig-Juñent S (Eds.), Biodiversidad de Artrópodos Argentinos. Vol II SEA Ediciones Especiales, pp. 357–372

  • Waloff N (1974) Biology behaviour of some species of Dryinidae. J Entomol (A) 49:97–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Werren JH, Windsor DM (2000) Wolbachia infection frequencies in insects: evidence of a global equilibrium? P Roy Soc Lond B Bio 267:1277–1285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou W, Rousset F, O’Neill S (1998) Phylogeny and PCR-based classification of Wolbachia strains using wsp gene sequences. P Roy Soc Lond B Bio 265:509–515

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zouache K, Voronin D, Tran-Van V, Mousson L, Failloux A, Mavigui P (2009) Persistent Wolbachia and cultivable bacteria infection in the reproductive and somatic tissues of the mosquito vector Aedes albopictus. PLoS One 4:e6388. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006388

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank to the anonymous reviewers for their very useful comments that improved the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ Nacional de Chilecito (UNDEC), Chilecito, La Rioja, Argentina

    M S Espinosa

  2. Instituto de Entomología, Fund. M. Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

    E G Virla

  3. PROIMI- Biotecnología – CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

    E G Virla & S Cuozzo

  4. Facultad de Cs. Naturales e Inst. M. Lillo, Univ. Nac. de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

    S Cuozzo

Authors
  1. M S Espinosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E G Virla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S Cuozzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E G Virla.

Additional information

Edited by Gabriel Manrique - Univ Buenos Aires

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Espinosa, M.S., Virla, E.G. & Cuozzo, S. Wolbachia Infections Responsible for Thelytoky in Dryinid Wasps. The Case of Gonatopus bonaerensis Virla (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae). Neotrop Entomol 46, 409–413 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-016-0475-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-016-0475-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation