Wolbachia diversity within Porcellionides species complex

Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic a-Proteobacteria infecting a wide range of arthropods. Wolbachia induce feminization in many terrestrial isopod species such as Porcellionides pruinosus (Crustacea, Oniscidea). The diversity of Wolbachia strains infecting P. pruinosus was examined from 23 populations sampled mainly in Europe. Results reveal that natural populations of P. pruinosus contain five different Wolbachia strains (PruI to PruV). The polymorphism of infection is different among strains. PruI infects only females (at a rate of 60%), PruII infects both sexes (with 30% rate in males and 40% rate in females), while PruIII, IV and V infect both sexes at 100% rate.Host divergence from 16S RNA gene is high between some specimens probably due to the fact that P. pruinosus is actually a 'species complex'.