Wolbachia affect behavior and possibly reproductive compatibility but not thermoresistance, fecundity, and morphology in a novel transinfected host, Drosophila nigrosparsa

Wolbachia, intracellular endosymbionts, are estimated to infect about half
of all arthropod species. These bacteria manipulate their hosts in various
ways for their maximum benefits. The rising global temperature may
accelerate species migration and, thus, horizontal transfer of Wolbachia
may occur across species previously not in contact. We transinfected and
then cured the alpine fly Drosophila nigrosparsa with Wolbachia strain
wMel to study its effects on this species. We found low Wolbachia titer,
possibly cytoplasmic incompatibility, and an increase in locomotion of
both infected larvae and adults compared with cured ones. However, no
change in fecundity, no impact on heat and cold tolerance, and no change
in wing morphology were observed. Although Wolbachia increased locomotor
activities in this species, we conclude that D. nigrosparsa may not
benefit from the infection. Still, D. nigrosparsa can serve as a host for
Wolbachia because vertical transmission is possible but may not be as high
as in the native host of wMel, Drosophila melanogaster.