No seasonal trend in infection of the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), by Wolbachia |
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Authors: | Takuto Sumi Kazuki Miura Takahisa Miyatake |
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Institution: | 1. Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan 2. National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Western Region Agricultural Research Center, Nishifuka machi 6-12-1, Fukuyama, 721-8514, Japan
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Abstract: | Wolbachia are Gram-negative bacteria that cause intracellular inherited infections in many invertebrates. They are extremely common, with 20–75 % of all insects being infected. Wolbachia belong to taxa of the Anaplasmataceae family, alpha proteobacteria. Because previous studies have shown that Wolbachia generally disappear from the host insect’s body under high-temperature conditions in laboratories, we investigated seasonal changes in infection of the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha (Kollar, 1848) by Wolbachia, for 7 months of the year. Total annual infection was 86.7 % (n = 15) of females and 96.3 % (n = 81) of males. Statistical analysis showed that monthly infection was not significantly different among months. In addition, no significant difference was found between Wolbachia densities in cells of summer and winter butterfly samples by use of real-time PCR during the months examined. The results suggest that Wolbachia infection is not affected by seasonal factors, at least for Z. maha. |
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