Fitness and microbial networks of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), in its native and introduced range

1. Variation in microbial communities between populations is increasingly hypothesized to affect animal fitness and performance, including for invasive species. Pathogenic species may be lost during the introduction process, enhancing invader fitness and abundance. 2. We assessed fitness, immune gene expression, and microbial network complexity of invasive common wasps, Vespula vulgaris. Microbial networks were assayed using 16S and 18S sequencing and gene expression arrays in the native (Belgium) and introduced range (New Zealand). We examined the immune gene expression of the wasp Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene homologue. Dscam expression can be induced by viruses, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and parasites. 3. Individual nest fitness was higher in the native range of Belgium than in the introduced, New Zealand range. Microbial communities of wasps in the introduced range were more diverse with more complex networks, although some microorganisms we...