Abstract: The infection of the bacterial symbionts Wolbachia in 3 planthoppers was detected by PCR method. Laodelphax striatellus, Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera were found to be infected with Wolbachia. The gene wsp, encoding the outer membrane protein of the symbiotic bacteria, was cloned and sequenced. The RFLP analysis confirmed that those planthoppers were infected with the single Wolbachia strain. The cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) induced by Wolbachia in Laodelphax striatellus and the distribution of Wolbachia in this insect from different regions were studied. A parasitic wasp, Haplogonatopus apicalis, which can parasitize the planthoppers, was found to be infected with the same Wolbachia. Wolbachia might transfer between different insect horizontally via this wasp.

Key words: Wolbachia, Laodelphax striatellus, Nilaparvata lugens, Sogatella furcifera, wsp gene, transfection