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We studied the occurrence of Wolbachia in relation to the systematics, ecology, and biology of 40 weevil species from central Europe. Identification of Wolbachia supergroups and phylogeny was performed on the basis of 16S rDNA, ftsZ, wsp, and hcpA sequences. Sixteen species (40%) were infected by Wolbachia. Six of these possess only supergroup A (15% of all studied species, 37.5% of the infected species), and four harbored only supergroup B (10 and 25%, respectively). Six species were infected by both supergroups A and B or their genomes harbored parts of these two supergroups (15 and 37.5%, respectively). No differences between Wolbachia supergroup frequencies were detected. There was almost no correlation between Wolbachia phylogeny and host systematics and phylogeny at the level of subfamily and tribe, because the representatives of both supergroups were detected in all the studied multi-species tribes. Wolbachia strains were probably inherited from a common ancestor only in the case of the genus Strophosoma, where two of three analyzed species possessed bacteria which are genetically very close in all the studied genes. There was also only limited congruence between phylogenies obtained from the four studied genes. These results suggest horizontal transmission of Wolbachia strains between species and recombination events between different strains. A significant correlation was detected between infected and uninfected species in relation to mobility (flying species were 2× more frequently infected than non-flying species), foraging (polyphagous species were 2.5× less frequently infected than mono- or oligophagous species), and reproductive mode (parthenogenetic weevils were infected nearly 2× as often as bisexuals). No differences were detected between mesophilous and xerothermophilous species, nor between those inhabiting open areas vs. arboreal species. However, these results might have been influenced by common ancestry among the studied weevils. Because weevils include many plant pests of economic importance, it is possible to use these data in developing alternative, biology-based strategies for controlling them.

The increased interest in asexual organisms calls for in-depth studies of asexual complexes that actively give rise to new clones. We present an extensive molecular study of the Otiorhynchus scaber (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) weevil system. Three forms have traditionally been recognized: diploid sexuals, triploid, and tetraploid parthenogens. All forms coexist in a small central area, but only the polyploid parthenogens have colonized marginal areas. Analyzing the phylogenetic relationship, based on three partial mitochondrial genes, of 95 individuals from 19 populations, we find that parthenogenesis and polyploidy have originated at least three times from different diploid lineages. We observe two major mitochondrial lineages, with over 2.5% sequence divergence between the most basal groups within them, and find that current distribution and phylogenetic relationships are weakly correlated. Quite unexpectedly, we also discover diploid clones that coexist with, and are morphologically indistinguishable from, the diploid sexual females. Our results support that these diploid clones are derived directly from the diploid sexuals. We also find that it is mainly an increase in ploidy level and not the benefits of asexual reproduction that confers to polyploid parthenogens the advantage over their diploid sexual relatives.

Scanning electron microscopy micrograms of the elytra of Liparus glabrirostris showed a different dorsal and ventral surface and a multilayered inner structure. Hydration kinetics, sorption isotherm, and proton free induction decays are measured for hydrated elytra of the weevil species Liparus glabrirostris (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the atmosphere with controlled humidity. Very tightly bound water fraction with the mass ∆m/m0 = 0.037± 0.004, and very short hydration time, tightly bound water ∆m/m0 = 0.034± 0.009, and hydration time t1 = (3.31± 0.93) h, and finally loosely bound water fraction with t2 = (25.5± 7.8) h were distinguished. The sorption isotherm is sigmoidal in form, with the mass of water saturating primary water binding sites equal of ∆M/m0 = 0.036. The proton free induction decays show the presence of solid signal (well fitted by a Gaussian function) from elytra (T ∗ 2G ≈ 18 μs), the immobilized water fraction (T ∗ 2L1 ≈ 120 μs) and mobile water pool (T ∗ 2L2 ≈ 300 μs). The hydration dependence of the water bound in elytra of L. glabrirostris, L/S is linear showing the absence of water-soluble solid fraction and negligible content of water pool “sealed” in pores of the structure.