Surveying the presence of Wolbachia in the Missouri River ecosystem

Wolbachia is a genus of alpha proteobacteria found within the reproductive systems of roughly 40-60% of all insects. These bacteria often act on their host by causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, feminization, and male-killing. Due to the ability of these bacteria to reduce populations of insects, they have been proposed as a method for controlling populations of disease causing mosquitoes that harbor Dengue fever and Malaria. The risks of introducing these bacteria into populations of insects may be an incidental infection of nearby insects that serve a vital role in the food web. Assessing this risk requires knowledge of the distribution of Wolbachia among aquatic insect species, which is currently lacking. Our preliminary survey of Wolbachia in three Missouri River tributaries as well as the Missouri itself shows that 27 percent of species have tested positive for Wolbachia. The orders Odonata, Trichoptera, Diptera, and Plecoptera have individuals infected with Wolbachia. Infection rates of species vary from 0.06 to 0.67 in species where more than one individual was tested, suggesting partial infection is common. More individuals are expected to be infected with Wolbachia as more testing progresses.