• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.321-326
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• 2001

Contribution of Wolbachia infection to fitness of a species (developmental time, adult life span, fecundity and ovipositional period) was measured in the susceptible and dicofol-resistant strains of two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, on miniature roses. Based on ftsZPCR assay, Wolbachia infection was confirmed only in the susceptible strain. The susceptible strain had significantly higher fecundity (eggs/female) and shorter developmental times than the resistant strain. Longer adult life span and ovipositional period were observed in the susceptible strain. Fitness differences were appeared to influence dicofol resistance development. Similar measurements were performed with progeny from two reciprocal $F_1$crosses. Similar to other examples of cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by Wolbachia, subsequent cross between uninfected female and infected male spider mites were different from the other combination: a high egg mortality and a male-biased sex ratio. When the intrinsic rate of natural increase was calculated, the cross between uninfected female and infected male spider mites had a significantly lower rate($0.09\pm$0.01) than did the other combination ($0.20\pm$0.01). These results suggest that the dynamic and evolution of the fitness are closely associated with dicofol resistance and Wolbachia infection in the two spotted spider mites.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.193-197
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• 2000

Wolbachia, vertically transmitted bacterial endosymbionts, is known to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, or feminization in some insect species. The Wolbachia found to exist symbiotically as a non-virulent form in Drosophila melanogaster, however popcorn is a lethal strain of Wolbachia, which causes tissue degeneration and early death of its adult host. Popcorn-infected flies showed the delayed duration of an egg and larvae, and their pupal period and life span reduced. The oviposition and egg-hatching rate of popcorn-infected flies were decreased 15% and 80%, respectiv~ly, compared to those of the normal Wolbachia-infected flies. The pupation and emergence rates of popcorn-infected flies were 67% and 65%, respectively. When popcorn-infected flies were crossed with Wolba-chia-infected flies, and vice versa, both crosses resulted in a significant reduction in egg production, egg¬hatching, pupation, and emergence rate, and their progeny revealed the popcorn syndrome. When popcorn-infected male flies were crossed with uninfected females, popcorn was not detected in their progeny. Popcorn also maternally transmitted in flies, but it did not induce CI and affected on its host life cycle as a virulence.