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No evidence for Wolbachia ‐induced parthenogenesis in the social Hymenoptera
Author(s) -
Tom Wenseleers,
Johan Billen
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2000.00168.x
Subject(s) - wolbachia , biology , parthenogenesis , hymenoptera , parasitoid , haplodiploidy , zoology , insect , parasitoid wasp , evolutionary biology , ecology , genetics , ploidy , host (biology) , gene , embryo
In some parasitoid wasps, infection by the micro‐organism Wolbachia leads to asexual reproduction. Within the Hymenoptera, the limits of distribution of parthenogenesis inducing Wolbachia have not yet been established. To address this issue, we screened all known thelytokous social hymenopteran species using a PCR assay. None was infected, and therefore we conclude that worker thelytoky evolves independently of Wolbachia in ants and bees. This supports the previously proposed hypothesis that a sex determining system based on heterozygosity may form a proximate limitation to Wolbachia ‐induced parthenogenesis.