Table of Contents

Primary and Secondary Symbionts, So Similar, Yet So Different. Proteobacteria as Primary Endosymbionts of Arthropods. The Bacteroidetes Blattabacterium and Sulcia as Primary Endosymbionts of Arthropods. Secondary Symbionts of Insects: Acetic Acid Bacteria. Facultative Tenants from the Enterobacteriaceae within Phloem-Feeding Insects. Stammerula and Other Symbiotic Bacteria within the Fruit Flies Inhabiting Asteraceae Flowerheads. Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii: Symbiont or Parasite of Tick Mitochondria? Rickettsiella, Intracellular Pathogens of Arthropods. Arthropods Shopping for Wolbachia. Host and Symbiont Adaptations Provide Tolerance to Beneficial Microbes: Sodalis and Wigglesworthia Symbioses in Tsetse Flies. Rickettsia Get Around. Cardinium: The Next Addition to the Family of Reproductive Parasites. The Genus Arsenophonus.

About the Author

Kostas Bourtzis, PhD, is a professor of molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry in the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Western Greece. His research is focused on the interactions between insect pests/disease vectors and symbiotic bacteria, with special emphasis on Wolbachia-mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility, genetic manipulation of Wolbachia, the molecular mechanism of cytoplasmic incompatibility, and Wolbachia genomics. His group has recently shown that Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility can be used as a means to suppress insect pest populations.

Einat Zchori-Fein, PhD, is a researcher in the Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, Israel. Her research is focused on the interactions between insect pests and symbiotic bacteria, with special emphasis on the diversity and phenotypes of secondary symbionts of the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci, horizontal transmission of secondary symbionts, and the multitrophic interactions among plants, plant pathogens, arthropod vectors, and natural enemies.

Per their research interests and personal beliefs, Prof. Bourtzis and Dr. Zchori-Fein are the chair and vice chair of the EU COST Action FA0701, Arthropod Symbioses: From Fundamental Studies to Pest and Disease Management, dedicated to promoting the use of endosymbiotic bacteria as a tool for the development of environmentally friendly approaches for the control of arthropods of medical and agricultural importance.