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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424960
Research Project: Systematics of Beetles, Flies, Moths and Wasps with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Genomics and reproductive biology of Leptopilina malgretoutensis (sp. nov.): an asexual parasitoid of Caribbean Drosophila

Author
item LINDSEY, AMELIA - University Of Minnesota
item LUE, CHIA-HUA - University Of Maryland
item DAVIS, JEREMY - University Of Indiana
item BORJON, LYDIA - University Of Indiana
item MAUTHNER, STEPHANIE - University Of Indiana
item FRICKE, LAURA - University Of Minnesota
item YOUTSEY, ANNA - University Of Indiana
item EADS, LAUREN - University Of Indiana
item MURPHY, MOLLY - University Of Indiana
item DROWN, MELISSA - University Of Minnesota
item FAULK, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Minnesota
item Buffington, Matthew
item TRACEY, WILLIAM DANIEL - University Of Indiana

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2026
Publication Date: 5/1/2026
Citation: Lindsey, A.R., Lue, C., Davis, J.S., Borjon, L., Mauthner, S., Fricke, L., Eads, L., Murphy, M., Drown, M., Faulk, C., Buffington, M.L., Tracey, D. 2026. Genomics and reproductive biology of Leptopilina malgretoutensis (sp. nov.): an asexual parasitoid of Caribbean Drosophila. PLOS ONE. 233(1):1-20. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyag029.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyag029

Interpretive Summary: Parasitoid wasps are essential natural enemies of pest insects that destroy crops. The identification of these wasps, however, is very difficult. In this project we discovered an unnamed species literally ‘hiding’ in plain sight. By sequencing its genome, we were able to determine bacteria living inside the wasp prevented us from correctly identifying the species. Through this process, we have determined how to identify these bacteria. This is an absolutely essential step as having the wrong species name, and associated biology, can and will results in millions of dollars of crop loss, wasted time, and wasted human effort. Further, releasing an incorrectly identified biocontrol agent can have negative environmental effects, such as destruction of a non-pest species. These methods are immediately applicable to controlling spotted wing Drosophila, a pest that causes $500mil worth of damage per year. By publishing this product, other scientists, biocontrol workers and extension agents will be armed with the same technology we used, and hence, be able to identify unknown wasps of agricultural importance.

Technical Abstract: Drosophila and parasitic wasps in the genus Leptopilina have long been a model for understanding host-parasite interactions. Indeed, parasitic wasps are important drivers of ecological and evolutionary processes broadly, but we are generally lacking information about the diversity, natural history, and evolution of these relationships. We collected insects from the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia, home to the eastern Caribbean ‘dunni’ subgroup of Drosophila a clade long appreciated for its recent patterns of speciation and adaptation. Here we present an integrative approach that incorporates natural history, taxonomy, physiology, and genomics to describe Leptopilina malgretoutensis Buffington, Lue, Davis Tracey sp. nov. (Hymenoptera Figitidae), a virulent parasitoid of dunni group flies, especially Drosophila antillea. Leptopilina malgretoutensis is nested within an early-branching clade of Leptopilina, offering insights into the evolution of this important genus of Drosophila parasitoids. We present a high-quality assembly for this wasp’s 1Gbp genome, and for its bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia strain “wLmal”. Furthermore, we show that wLmal induces parthenogenesis in the wasp, and that these wasps are reliant upon their Wolbachia infections to produce female offspring. Finally, comparison to historical museum specimens indicate that Leptopilina malgretoutensis had been collected approximately 40 years prior from the nearby island of Guadeloupe and were also asexually reproducing. This work represents one of only a handful of studies in which field biology, taxonomy, systematics, genomics, and experimental biology are integrated into a species description showcasing the possibilities for biodiversity research in the genomic era.