Wolbachia

• Wolbachia is a common bacteria found in insects, present in approximately 60% of all insects worldwide, including butterflies, bees, and beetles.
• However, it cannot infect humans, animals, or fish.
• Approximately 60% of all insects worldwide, including butterflies, bees, and beetles, have Wolbachia.
• They are present in eggs but absent in sperm, allowing females to transmit them to their offspring.
  • This has led to the evolution of Wolbachia to manipulate hosts to produce more females.
• Mosquitoes with Wolbachia can be used to reduce target mosquito populations, making it a potential tool for biological pest control.
• Wolbachia bacteria can only be passed down through female insects, leading to a higher likelihood of reproducing with females and altering the male-to-female ratio in host groups.

Latest News

• 16 July 2024:
  • Researchers from Shenyang Agricultural University discovered that Wolbachia bacteria have manipulated the wasp Encarsia formosa to eliminate males entirely, a finding crucial for biological pest control.