Host phylogeny and ecological associations best explain Wolbachia host shifts in scale insects

Here, we investigate the diversity and host-shift patterns of Wolbachia in scale insects, a group of arthropods with intimate associations with other insects that makes them well-suited to studying host shifts. Using Illumina pooled amplicon sequencing of Wolbachia-infected scale insects and their direct associates we determined the identity of all Wolbachia strains as well as host genes.