The evolution of diverse interactions between Wolbachia bacteria and their invertebrate hosts: insights from a novel lineage infecting termite societies

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Wolbachia intracellular bacteria are widespread in invertebrates, having evolved a remarkable range of host-interactions, from parasitic to mutualistic. I have discovered phylogenetically novel Wolbachia that infect the structural pests termites, and will investigate their host-effects and transmission dynamics. This will determine the generality of phenomena known from other Wolbachia, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility and horizontal transfer. The complexity of termite societies make them interesting candidates for studying how Wolbachia spread, and the results will be potentially valuable for future termite control strategies. The first comparative phylogenetic examination of diverse Wolbachia will be performed, providing new perspectives on their evolutionary history.