Effect of Wolbachia on the survival and reproduction of Trichogramma kaykai pinto & stouthamer (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Abstract

Parthenogenetic inducing Wolbachia infections are particularly common in the genus Trichogramma, but the influence of the microrganism on parasitoids' fitness has received relatively little attention. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the bacteria on the survival and reproduction of Trichogramma kaykai Pinto & Stouthamer, comparing an infected line (thelytokous) with an antibiotically cured (arrhenotokous) line, both reared on Trichoplusia ni Hübner eggs. Cured wasps produced significantly more progeny and more daughters than Wolbachia-infected wasps. Significantly more wasps emerged per host when parasitized by the arrhenotokous females than by the thelytokous females. Cured females, however, lived significantly less than infected females. Eggs of cured females matured faster than infected ones.