REU: ROW: Cytoplasmically Inherited Incompatibility Factors in the Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum

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The research will examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of a microorganism that affects reproductive incompatibility in its flour beetle host, Tribolium confusum. Males infected with this particular microorganism cannot produce progeny when mated with females that are not infected. The microorganism is transmitted from mothers to their offspring. If the microorganism is introduced into an uninfected population, in the absence of sufficient negative effects on its host, it is expected to spread through the population. Dr. Stevens will examine how the reproductive incompatibility affects host fitness, sperm utilization, and sperm competition. She will also determine if there is variation in sensitivity of the cytoplasmic factor to curing by high temperature. This research is important to basic scientific research because it will shed light on how interactions among such infective microorganism and their host are important in the process of evolution. The results may also have potential applications in pest management; the flour beetle itself is a major stored products pest.