NON-MALE-KILLING SPIROPLASMAS IN DROSOPHILA-HYDEI

Spiroplasmas were found in the hemolymph of Drosophila hydei collected at Ito, Japan. These organisms are transmitted through maternal lines efficiently and without any apparent pathological effects. They are morphologically indistinguishable from the SR-spiroplasmas of Drosophila that have so far been found only in association with some neotropical flies belonging to the willistoni species group and that cause male-specific lethality in host flies. These hydei organisms can be distinguished from the SR-spiroplasmas by the clumping reaction. The hydei spiroplasmas can be infected and lysed by an SR-spiroplasma virus, spv-1. In turn, they have their own virus that can infect and multiply in some SR-spiroplasmas. © 1979 American Genetic Association.