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Background    Wolbachia  bacteria have invaded many arthropod species by inducing Cytoplasmic Incompatibility (CI). These symbionts represent fascinating objects of study for evolutionary biologists, but also powerful potential biocontrol agents. Here, we assess the density dynamics of  Wolbachia  infections in males and females of the mosquito  Aedes albopitcus , an important vector of human pathogens, and interpret the results within an evolutionary framework.    Methodology/Principal Findings    Wolbachia  densities were measured in natural populations and in age controlled mosquitoes using quantitative PCR. We show that the density dynamics of the  w AlbA  Wolbachia  strain infecting  Aedes albopictus  drastically differ between males and females, with a very rapid decay of infection in males only.    Conclusions/Significance  Theory predicts that  Wolbachia  and its hosts should cooperate to improve the transmission of infection to offspring, because only infected eggs are protected from the effects of CI. However, incompatible matings effectively lower the fertility of infected males, so that selection acting on the host genome should tend to reduce the expression of CI in males, for example, by reducing infection density in males before sexual maturation. The rapid decay of one  Wolbachia  infection in  Aedes albopictus  males, but not in females, is consistent with this prediction. We suggest that the commonly observed reduction in CI intensity with male age reflects a similar evolutionary process. Our results also highlight the importance of monitoring infection density dynamics in both males and females to assess the efficiency of  Wolbachia -based control strategies.

Wolbachia Age-Sex-Specific Density in Aedes albopictus: A Host Evolutionary Response to Cytoplasmic Incompatibility?