Wolbachia infection dynamics in experimental laboratory populations of Metaseiulus occidentalis

Wolbachia infection in arthropods may cause incompatibility between uninfected females and infected males, but infected females can reproduce with both infected and uninfected males, theoretically increasing the proportion of infected individuals in a polymorphic population. To determine whether the proportion of Wolbachia‐infected Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in a polymorphic population would increase over time, three populations were initiated with 10% infected and 90% cured eggs and monitored for 12 generations. Wolbachia infection did not spread rapidly through the populations. Imperfect transmission rates and fitness costs were detected that could prevent the rapid spread of this Wolbachia. Thus this Wolbachia may not be useful as a drive mechanism for inserting useful genes into field populations of M. occidentalis.