Original paper
Presence of cryptic species in host insects forms a hierarchical Wolbachia infection pattern
Zhang, Qian; Tong, Xin; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Sun, Qiong; Gao, Yan; Zhang, Shun-Hua; Wang, Rong; Chen, Xiao-Yong
Entomologia Generalis Volume 42 Number 4 (2022), p. 571 - 578
published: Jul 11, 2022
published online: Mar 31, 2022
manuscript accepted: Jan 20, 2022
final revised version received: Dec 1, 2021
manuscript revision requested: Aug 30, 2021
manuscript received: Jul 3, 2021
DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2022/1392
ArtNo. ESP146004204008, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Although Wolbachia spp. are described as one of the most prevalent groups of endosymbiotic intracellular bacteria in invertebrates, studies often found large variations in Wolbachia infection rate at the species level. The underlying mechanisms of these variations however remain unclear. Given some phenotypic effects of Wolbachia such as cytoplasmic incompatibility and difficulties to be transmitted among host populations with deep genetic divergence, we hypothesized that cryptic species could play an important role in the spreading success of Wolbachia. Here we used Wiebesia pumilae, the morphospecies specifically pollinating Ficus pumila to test our hypothesis. We collected individuals from 40 locations covering most of its distribution range in China. Using a mtDNA gene, we suggested a total of three cryptic species in W. pumilae with a parapatric distribution pattern. At the morphospecies level, we detected an overall Wolbachia infection rate of 52.8%. In contrast, at the cryptic species level, we found that all infected individuals belonged to only one cryptic species. These results support our hypothesis and indicate that cryptic species boundaries can create a hierarchical Wolbachia infection pattern and the potential role of Wolbachia infection in restricting gene flow among cryptic species.
Keywords
cryptic species •
Wolbachia
•
infection pattern •
morphospecies •
pollinating fig wasps •
Wiebesia