No evidence of Wolbachia among Great Lakes area populations of Daphnia pulex (Crustacea: Cladocera)

Abstract

Wolbachia endobacteria are commonly associated with a variety of arthropod species as hosts and induce known changes in their hosts' life-history traits. Despite exhibiting several Wolbachia-like life-history traits, and despite being a common model organism, the zooplankton Daphnia pulex has not been formally tested for infection with Wolbachia. Among 203 isolates exhibiting a range of life-history phenotypes, we found no evidence of Wolbachia. This leaves the genes of D. pulex as the most likely cause of its own life-history traits.