Molecular evidence for the presence of the endosymbiontic bacteria Wolbachia in Cotesia populations (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Cotesia are larval endoparasitoids and are potential biocontrol agents for various insect pests. In the present study, we attempted to detect the allele-specific ftsZ gene of Wolbachia in Cotesia spp. obtained from different geographical locations. Samples of Cotesia plutellae originating from India (Bangalore and Ludhiana), Kenya, and South Africa and samples of C. glomerata from India (Solan) confirmed the presence of Wolbachia. However, C. plutellae samples from the Kullu region of India did not show infection with Wolbachia. ftsZ sequences showed a high degree of homology within the species (> 99%). The low genetic distance in the infected Cotesia populations indicated a single ancestral type, and distance to and from the outgroup suggested that populations are from the same species. Phylogenetic grouping of Cotesia species on the basis of geographic origin showed that the Wolbachia strain is closely related to strains that infect phylogenetically distant hosts. [Display omitted]