Wolbachia infection dynamics in a natural population of the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) across its seasonal generations

Abstract

AbstractWolbachiais one of the most abundant intracellular symbionts of arthropods and has profound effects on host biology.Wolbachiatransmission and host phenotypes often depend on its density within the host, which can be affected by multiple biotic and abiotic factors. However, very few studies measuredWolbachiadensity in natural host populations. Here, we describeWolbachiain the pear psyllidCacopsylla pyrifrom three populations in the Czech Republic. Using phylogenetic analyses based onwspand multilocus sequence typing genes, we demonstrate thatC. pyriharbours three newWolbachiastrains from supergroup B. A fourthWolbachiastrain from supergroup A was also detected in parasitised immatures ofC. pyri, but likely came from a hymenopteran parasitoid. To obtain insights into naturalWolbachiainfection dynamics, we quantifiedWolbachiain psyllid individuals from the locality with the highest prevalence across an entire year, spanning several seasonal generations of the host. All tested females were infected andWolbachiadensity remained stable across the entire period, suggesting a highly efficient vertical transmission and little influence from the environment and different host generations. In contrast, we observed a tendency towards reducedWolbachiadensity in males which may suggest sex-related differences inWolbachia-psyllid interactions.