Frederick Flanagan

Data Blitz Presentation

Sex-Ratio Bias in “Daddy-Longlegs”: Wolbachia to Blame?

Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium which infects arthropod species. The bacteria's function and role is the manipulation of the reproductive biology of its hosts to increase its own transmission4. Does Wolbachia exist and play a role within the harvestmen vittatum group? From an evolutionary perspective, are there endosymbionts producing a female-bias in harvestmen?

Poster Presentation

Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium which infects arthropod species, including a high portion of insects, and some nematodes. It is one of the world's most common parasitic microbes and is possibly the most common reproductive parasite in the biosphere⁵. The bacteria's function and role is the manipulation of the reproductive biology of its hosts to increase its own transmission⁴. Wolbachia is not only found as a reproductive parasite, but also works as a reproductive endosymbiont – an organism that lives with the mutual benefit of its host. In fact, there are certain nematode hosts that cannot produce vital offspring without the effects of Wolbachia's sexual differentiation. Wolbachia's sexual differentiation has impacted hosts through four major ways: feminization of infected males, induced parthenogenesis, killing of infected males, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. As of today, harvestmen, better known as the daddy longlegs spiders, have no known detection of Wolbachia. Harvestmen and spiders are arachnids; however, the two orders are not otherwise closely related. The great majority of harvestmen reproduce sexually, although some species reproduce asexually³. Our study focuses, does Wolbachia exist within the harvestmen vittatum group? Based on museum collections, Leiobunum relictum populations tend to display a bias for unequal ratios of fewer males and more females¹. The significance of our question could help us answer many more questions such as does Wolbachia have a role to play in their reproductive nature? From an evolutionary perspective, are there endosymbionts producing a female-bias in this harvestmen species? Is the male sex endangered?