Phylogeny and Density Dynamics of Infection of the Health Pest Curtis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

The maternally inherited obligate intracellular bacteria infects the reproductive tissues of a wide range of arthropods and affects host reproduction. is a credible biocontrol agent for reducing the impact of diseases associated with arthropod vectors. is a small staphylinid beetle that causes dermatitis linearis and conjunctivitis in humans when they come into contact with skin. occur in this beetle, but their relatedness to other , their infection dynamics, and their potential host effects remain unknown. In this study, we report the phylogenetic position and density dynamics of in . The phylogeny of based on an analysis of MLST genotyping showed that the bacteria from belong to supergroup B. Quantitative PCR indicated that the infection density in adults was higher than in any other life stage (egg, larva or pupa), and that reproductive tissue in adults had the highest infection densities, with similar densities in the sexes. These findings provide a starting point for understanding the infection dynamics in , and interactions with other components of the microbiota.