title: Incidence ofWolbachiain aquatic insects.
abstract: Wolbachiais a genus of intracellular bacteria typically found within the reproductive systems of insects that manipulates those systems of their hosts. While current estimates ofWolbachiaincidence suggest that it infects approximately half of all arthropod species, these estimates are based almost entirely on terrestrial insects. No systematic survey ofWolbachiain aquatic insects has been performed. To estimateWolbachiaincidence among aquatic insect species, we combined field-collected samples from the Missouri River (251 samples from 58 species) with a global database from previously published surveys. The final database contained 5,598 samples of 2,687 total species (228 aquatic and 2,459 terrestrial). We estimate that 52% (95% CrIs: 44%-60%) of aquatic insect species carryWolbachia, compared to 60% (58%-63%) of terrestrial insects. Among aquatic insects, infected orders included Odonata, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Plecoptera. Incidence was highest within aquatic Diptera and Hemiptera (69%), Odonata (50%), and Coleoptera (53%), and was lowest within Ephemeroptera (13%). These results indicate thatWolbachiais common among aquatic insects, but incidence varies widely across orders and is especially uncertain in those orders with low sample sizes such as Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0013-3554
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sazama
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences Sanford School of Medicine University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA.
authors.forename: Carmelita S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shouldis
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences Sanford School of Medicine University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA.
authors.forename: Scot P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ouellette
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology University of South Dakota Vermillion SD USA.
authors.forename: Jeff S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wesner
keywords: Missouri River; Wolbachia; aquatic insects; endosymbiont