Intersexuality in a natural population of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber

By

Zarka, Jens
Parmentier, Thomas
Wybouw, Nicky

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1101

Pages

183--190

Subjects

Intersex phenotypes , Isopoda , sex-determination , Wolbachia

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1101.77212

 

Abstract

Intersex phenotypes are rarely observed in natural isopod populations and their expression is typically associated with infection ofWolbachia, a reproductive parasite that manipulates arthropod reproduction. During an intensive sampling effort of a natural population of the isopodPorcellio scaber, an adult individual was isolated that expressed both male and female traits. The intersex individual exhibited clearly developed external male genitalia and carried multiple eggs in its brood pouch. NoWolbachiainfection could be identified in this individual, a result that needs to be approached with caution due to suboptimal DNA preservation for diagnostic PCR assays.Wolbachiawere, however, detected in two adult females of the same population, and appear closely related to isolates that infect other terrestrial isopod species. This is the first demonstration that intersex phenotypes can arise under natural conditions inP. scaber.