10.5061/DRYAD.MD880
van Nouhuys, Saskya
University of Helsinki
Kohonen, Minna
University of Helsinki
Duplouy, Anne
University of Helsinki
Data from: Wolbachia increases the susceptibility of a parasitoid wasp to
hyperparasitism
Dryad
dataset
2017
Host-parasite interaction
Hyposoter horticola
Ecological Immunity
Wolbachia
Melitaea cinxia
Mesochorus c.f. stigmaticus
symbiont
2017-10-03T00:00:00Z
2017-10-03T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.140699
3763 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The success of maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria, such as
Wolbachia, is directly linked to their host reproduction but in direct
conflict with other parasites that kill the host before it reaches
reproductive maturity. Therefore, symbionts that have evolved strategies
to increase their host’s ability to evade lethal parasites may have high
penetrance, while detrimental symbionts would be selected against, leading
to lower penetrance or extinction from the host population. In a natural
population of the parasitoid wasp Hyposoter horticola in the Åland Islands
(Finland), the Wolbachia strain wHho persists at an intermediate
prevalence (∼50%). Additionally, there is a negative correlation between
the prevalence of Wolbachia and a hyperparasitoid wasp, Mesochorus cf.
stigmaticus, in the landscape. Using a manipulative field experiment, we
addressed the persistence of Wolbachia at this intermediate level, and
tested whether the observed negative correlation could be due to Wolbachia
inducing either susceptibility or resistance to parasitism. We show that
infection with Wolbachia does not influence the ability of the wasp to
parasitize its butterfly host, Melitaea cinxia, but that hyperparasitism
of the wasp increases in the presence of wHho. Consequently, the symbiont
is detrimental, and in order to persist in the host population, must also
have a positive effect on fitness that outweighs the costly burden of
susceptibility to widespread parasitism.
WolbVSMeso-March16-DryadFile
Finland
Aland Island