Data from: Population genetics of Wolbachia-infected, parthenogenetic and uninfected, sexual populations of Tetrastichus coeruleus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).

Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria known to manipulate the reproduction
of their hosts. These manipulations are expected to have consequences on
the population genetics of the host, such as heterozygosity levels,
genetic diversity and gene flow. The parasitoid wasp Tetrastichus
coeruleus has populations that are infected with parthenogenesis-inducing
Wolbachia and populations that are not infected. We studied the population
genetics of T. coeruleus between and within Wolbachia-infected and
uninfected populations, using nuclear microsatellites and mitochondrial
DNA. We expected reduced genetic diversity in both DNA types in infected
populations. However, migration and gene flow could introduce new DNA
variants into populations. We therefore paid special attention to
individuals with unexpected (genetic) characteristics. Based on nuclear
and mitochondrial DNA, two genetic clusters were evident: a thelytokous
cluster containing all Wolbachia-infected, parthenogenetic populations and
an arrhenotokous cluster containing all uninfected, sexual populations.
Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA did not exhibit concordant patterns of
variation, although there was reduced genetic diversity in infected
populations for both DNA types. Within the thelytokous cluster, there was
nuclear DNA variation, but no mitochondrial DNA variation. This nuclear
DNA variation may be explained by occasional sex between infected females
and males, by horizontal transmission of Wolbachia, and/or by novel
mutations. Several females from thelytokous populations were uninfected
and/or heterozygous for microsatellite loci. These unexpected
characteristics may be explained by migration, by inefficient transmission
of Wolbachia, by horizontal transmission of Wolbachia, and/or by novel
mutations. However, migration has not prevented the build-up of
considerable genetic differentiation between thelytokous and arrhenotokous
populations.