The gonads of Zyginidia pullula males feminized by Wolbachia pipientis

Zyginidia pullula (Boheman) (Hemiptera Cicadellidae) is a widespread central European leafhopper about 3 mm long. It is a multivoltine species, with a bisexual reproduction. Some females collected in Northern Italy, when mated with males, give origin to an exclusively female brood. These lineages are infected by Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales), an α-proteobacterium known to induce several reproductive manipulations in its arthropod host. In Z. pullula, the infection by W. pipientis induces feminization of genetical males. These feminized males are characterised by intersexual phenotypes, i.e. they are females harbouring upper pygofer appendages, a typical male secondary sexual feature. In this study we report preliminary results on the ovary histological structure and the immunohistochemical localization of W. pipientis in the gonads of these aberrant females (intersexes).