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

ESPINOSA, M S; VIRLA, E G; CUOZZO, S

NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOC BRASIL

Lugar: BRASIL; Año: 2016 vol. 46 p. 409 - 413

1519-566X

We studied the occurrence of Wolbachia in the parasitoid Gonatopusbonaerensis Virla (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae). In order to verify the existenceof 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, infectedspecimens of G. bonaerensis were treated with a solution of tetracycline.In Tucumán, parasitoids hold Wolbachia endosymbiont, whichseems to control the wasp?s reproduction in the nature turning it intothelytokous. The symbiont was identified as the Wolbachia sp. wRi strain.The cure of infected unfertilized females determined the normalarrhenotokous parthenogenesis and the production of male offspring. Asa consequence of this procedure, the male of G. bonaerensis is describedfor the first time.