Evolutionary ecology of the endosymbiont Wolbachia in the neotropical fly Drosophila willistoni

Abstract

Symbiosis research transverse biology. Wolbachia is consolidated as the most successful endosymbiont on earth, but the extension of its interactions with natural host populations is only now being disentangled. In this study, we will explore the evolutionary ecology of Wolbachia in one of the most common rainforest related neotropical Drosophila species, Drosophila willistoni. We will ask if the processes that shape Wolbachia prevalence in old-world Drosophila also shape their prevalence in this less explored environment and species. Additionally, we will explore the role of temperature in shaping the induced phenotypes and fitness of hosts infected with Wolbachia and perform comparative genomics to identify known or novel mechanisms that make this bacterium singular in evolutionary biology.