Multiple paternity in a wild population of Armadillidium vulgare: influence of infection with Wolbachia?

Female multiple mating has been extensively studied to understand how non-obvious benefits, generally thought to be of genetic nature, could overcome heavy costs such as an increased risk of infection during mating. However, the impact of infection itself on multiple mating has rarely been addressed. The interaction between the bacterium Wolbachia and its terrestrial crustacean host, Armadillidium vulgare, is a relevant model to investigate this question. In this association, Wolbachia is able to turn genetic males into functional females (i.e. feminization), thereby distorting the sex ratio and decreasing the number of available males at the population scale. Moreover, in A. vulgare, females have been shown to mate multiply under laboratory conditions and males prefer uninfected females over infected ones. Additionally, three different Wolbachia strains are known to infect A. vulgare and these strains differ in their transmission rate and virulence. All these elements suggest a potenti...