Many bat species in Europe have undergone severe population declines during the last century and one of the driving causes is believed to be the loss of roosting and foraging habitat through agricultural expansion and intensification. Modern agricultural practices have also had strong negative effects on many insect groups, such as moths, which are important components of the diets of many bat species. Agri-environment schemes (AES) have been introduced in many countries as an attempt to counteract the negative effects of intensive agriculture on biodiversity by providing financial incentives for farmers to adopt environmentally-sensitive agricultural practices. AES are potentially beneficial to bats and nocturnal insects, but the response of these taxa to their implementation had not been assessed prior to this study. Here, the potential benefits (or otherwise) that bats and their insect prey species gain from the implementation of certain AES management prescriptions was assessed using ultrasonic detectors (to assess bat activity levels) and heath light traps (to quantify nocturnal insect abundance) at 18 pairs of AES and conventionally-managed farms. In addition, the influence of the surrounding landscape on bats and insects was quantified to evaluate the relevance of a landscape-scale management approach for the conservation of these taxa. Some of the AES prescriptions assessed in this study benefited moths (and are potentially beneficial for moth-eating bats), but not Pipistrelle bats nor their insect prey. The most important factors associated with bat activity on farmland were metrics related to woodland configuration in the surrounding landscape, which suggests that conservation efforts for bats should focus on the creation and management of this habitat. Currently, some AES prescriptions aim to increase the amount and quality of woodland on agricultural land, but little is known about how woodland character relates to bat abundance and insect prey availability; therefore, recommendations for woodland creation and management rarely consider the requirements of foraging bats. Here, the influence of woodland character (e.g. vegetation structure and patch configuration) on bats and nocturnal insects was assessed. Vegetation surveys were conducted and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to quantify the vegetation character and spatial configuration of 34 woodland patches within farmland. Two complementary methods (acoustic monitoring and bat trapping assisted by an acoustic lure) were used to assess the influence of woodland vegetation character, patch configuration and the surrounding landscape on bat populations. Nocturnal insect abundance at each site was assessed using heath light traps. Data presented here demonstrate that bats show species-specific associations with woodland vegetation structure and patch configuration; patterns of higher bat abundance and activity at small and isolated woodland patches suggest that bats utilize this habitat more intensively in landscapes where woodland is scarce. This thesis also shows that moths are strongly influenced by woodland character; in general, large woodland patches of compact shapes, composed of a large number of native tree species and a dense understory cover, and located close to other woodlands were associated with high moth abundance and species richness (and are potentially valuable for moth-eating bats). Other nocturnal insects (mainly Diptera) were not influenced by woodland character. This study also shows that bats and nocturnal insects are influenced by the landscape context; moths are mainly influenced by the extent of semi-natural environment (such as rough grassland and scrub) within small spatial scales (within 250 m; although effects of woodland extent were detected at larger spatial scales for woodland specialists moths). Bats are mainly influenced by woodland-related landscape metrics. Some bat species are influenced by the surrounding landscape at large spatial scales (within 3 km) and would benefit from woodland creation and management at a wide-landscape-scale. The findings presented in this thesis have important management implications for the design of agri-environment schemes. A list of management recommendations to optimize the benefits that bats and nocturnal insects gain from these schemes is presented in the final section.

Plantations are widespread throughout temperate regions, and the area of plantation land cover is predicted to get larger in the future. Interest in ensuring sustainable plantation management is also growing, as it is increasingly recognised that productive areas should play a role in biodiversity conservation. Plantation landscapes can comprise the majority of forested cover in some countries, but taxon-specific guidance can be lacking, due to plantations often being under surveyed. Therefore, despite substantial incentives existing to ensure that plantations meet various ecological criteria, plantation managers lack the information necessary to implement effective management plans. Many bat species have undergone widespread declines in recent decades, attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly of forested habitat. In many temperate countries, historical deforestation has resulted in very low native tree cover, and subsequently, considerable replanting with non-native commercial coniferous plantations has taken place. Species specific habitat surveys have often demonstrated avoidance of conifer plantations by bats, which has been attributed to a lack of roosts and low invertebrate prey abundance. Furthermore, widespread lepidopteran declines have been partly attributed to afforestation with non-native conifer, but moth associations with commercial coniferous plantations are usually only studied for pest species. Bats present a particular challenge in plantation landscapes; tree cover is important to many species to a greater or lesser extent, and in the United Kingdom, destruction of a roost site is illegal, regardless of whether it was deliberate or accidental. However, the extent to which bats associate with non-native commercial plantations is relatively unexplored. This is the first study to explicitly test bat associations with Picea sitchensis plantations (using acoustic detectors, trapping and radio tracking), and shows that, contrary to expectations, they may be an important habitat for breeding populations of Pipistrellus spp., particularly P. pygmaeus. High levels of activity were recorded for both P. pygmaeus and P. pipistrellus, despite little difference in dipteran abundance between different stand types, both species preferentially foraged in felled or less dense stands. This suggests that bats preferentially forage in areas with less acoustic and physical clutter, which will increase foraging efficiency. The impacts of felling in non-native commercial coniferous plantations on foraging activity was tested, for the first time, using a Before – After – Control – Impact experimental design. Bat activity (specifically P. pipistrellus and Nyctalus) increased after felling, particularly in smaller stands. In contrast felling had significant, negative impacts on moth abundance, species richness and diversity, and these effects remain after constraining for functional trait similarity. Reductions in richness and diversity in response to felling were similarly large for both rare and abundant species. Therefore, while bats may benefit from clear fell practices, albeit as long as the size of patches is small, moth populations could benefit from a shift towards other forestry methods, iv such as continuous cover forestry. These results also have implications for the recent, but increasing practice of siting wind turbines in commercial coniferous plantations, as pre-installation preparation involves clearing small patches of forest which may attract foraging bats; post felling monitoring should be carried out to examine potential impacts on bat populations. The presence of broadleaf trees in and around plantations significantly increased moth richness, mostly through increased occurrence of rare species. Broadleaf woodlands (defined as land spanning more than 0.5 ha, with trees higher than 5m and a combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees above 10%), also had higher functional redundancy than plantation sites. For a diverse moth population to persist in plantation landscapes, preserving remnant patches of broadleaf trees is essential. There was little difference in bat activity between broadleaf woodlands and plantation sites. However, bat abundance, particularly that of reproductively active females, was greater in broadleaf sites compared to plantations. This was particularly true for Myotis and Nyctalus spp., very few of which were trapped in commercial plantations. Therefore, although reproductively active female Myotis bats are present in the surrounding landscape, they do not appear to associate with plantations themselves. This may reflect a lack of roost availability; both P. pygmaeus and P. pipistrellus preferentially form large maternity colonies in buildings, but for Myotis and Nyctalus spp. which roost switch regularly and often use trees, it is unlikely many suitable roosts exist within the plantations themselves. Many substantial P. pygmaeus maternity colonies were identified in and around Galloway forest, with some holding more than 500 individuals. All maternity colonies were in buildings, and most inhabited (and one uninhabited) buildings within the plantation contained a roost. Although females occasionally used old or dead deciduous trees as temporary roosts, there was no evidence of roosting in crop trees such as P. sitchensis. During this study, the Forestry Commission installed 36 bat boxes; within 6 months over 90% had been used, with a number of harems found inside. This fast uptake compared with bat use of boxes in other locations reflects the paucity of appropriate structures for either roost or harem use in commercial plantations. Twelve bats were captured while foraging, tagged with small radio transmitters, and followed for between 2 and 6 nights during 2014 and 2015. All but one tagged female preferentially foraged within the plantation, with individuals selecting equally riparian habitats and felled stands. Tagged females which roosted furthest from the plantation had the largest home ranges; one individual flew nearly 40km each night to reach foraging areas distant from her roost, suggesting that the food availability within the plantation was sufficient to render such a long journey energetically viable. v These results have important implications for bat populations in and around commercial coniferous plantations. Far from being avoided by bats, plantation landscapes may constitute an important habitat type for both P. pygmaeus and P. pipistrellus, likely due to the high abundance of nematoceran diptera in plantation woodlands. Furthermore, plantation forests support a similar richness of moth species to urban and agricultural woodlands, including a number of declining species of special conservation concern. A list of management recommendations to benefit both bat and moth populations in commercial plantations is presented at the end of this thesis.

Based on light trapping carried out in 2010, I studied moth communities of the Koda National nature reserve, part of Český kras landscape protected area, in order to compare moth communities inhabiting major biotope types within the reserve. The obtained material consisted of 295 species in 4455 individuals. Steppe enclaves hosted more species than overgrown coppices and beech-dominated high forests. Ordination analyses distinguished between steppe and forest biotopes. Steppe catches differed from forest catches in habitat associations of constituent species (more species of grassland habitats), whereas the two forest types did not differ in this. Identical patterns applied for all moths analysed together and for analyses restricted to Geometridae and Noctuidae moths. Steppic enclaves represent the most valuable sites within the Koda reserve.

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Ett av de primära hoten mot biologisk mångfald och populationsnedgångar är utvecklingen av de moderna jord- och skogsbruket, där intensifierad markanvändning vidare har lett till förlust av lämpliga livsmiljöer för många organismgrupper, inklusive insekter. Nattfjärilar anses vara en indikatorgrupp för miljöförändringar och deras nedgång har dokumenterats i flera europeiska länder. Utvecklingen av infrastruktur som ytterligare bidrar till markanvändningen, till exempel kraftledningsgator, har fått ett ökat intresse att utforskas ur ett naturvårdsperspektiv. Studier har visat att insektsgrupper som till exempel vilda bin och dagfjärilar potentiellt kan använda kraftledningsgator som en möjlig livsmiljö, men liknande studier är bristfälliga för nattfjärilar. Kraftledningsgator löper genom landskapets varierande naturtyper och korsar därmed skogsbestånd påverkade av skogsbruket.   Denna studie undersökte abundans och artrikedom av nattaktiva storfjärilar (Macrolepidoptera) i norra Sverige längs smala kraftledningsgator omgiven av olika successionsstadier av boreal skog och skog opåverkade av kraftledningsgator som kontroll. Samtidigt undersöktes effekter av säsong och nattlig temperatur på förekomsten av nattfjärilar i studien. Nattfjärilar samlades in genom ljusfångst under juli och augusti 2022. Vidare kunde ingen signifikant skillnad påvisas i artrikedom eller abundans av nattfjärilar mellan kraftledningsgator omgiven av olika tillväxtstadier av skogsbestånd och kontrollgruppen. Däremot observerades en varierad artsammansättning i vardera habitattyp. Resultatet kan vagt antyda att nattfjärilar i varierande skogsbestånd möjligtvis kan nyttja de smala kraftledningsgator som löper genom områdena om ledningsgatan innehar en gynnsam miljö med viktiga värdväxter. Men större studier behövs för att undersöka kraftledningsgator som livsmiljö och eventuella effekter av angränsande omgivning. Utöver påvisades skillnader i abundans och artrikedom av nattfjärilar mellan perioder (juli och augusti), samt positiva korrelationer mellan fångstfrekvensen av nattfjärilar och högre temperatur under nätterna vid ljusfångst. Resultaten indikerar att säsong och temperatur är faktorer som bör tas i beaktning vid studier av nattfjärilar för att få mer tillförlitliga provtagningar i ett habitat.  Nationella långtidsstudier av nattfjärilar saknas och en ökad kunskap om status och trender av populationer är nödvändigt. Naturvårdsåtgärder för infrastrukturbiotoper behöver en samverkan mellan aktörer och ett helhetsperspektiv där omgivande landskap tas i beaktning. Fler och större studier behövs för att utvärdera kraftledningsgators potential i förhållande till deras negativa effekter på biodiversitet och fler studier är nödvändiga för att undersöka om kraftledningsgators arealer kan optimeras i förvaltning och användas av viktiga hotade insektsgrupper, som till exempel nattfjärilar. / One of the primary threats to biodiversity and population declines is intensified agriculture and forestry management. Intense land use leads to loss of suitable habitats for many groups of organisms, including insects. Moths are considered an indicator group for environmental changes and their decline has been documented in several European countries. Furthermore, development of infrastructure, power line corridors for example, also contributes to land use. However, studies have indicated that insects such as wild bees and diurnal butterflies can potentially use power line corridors, but studies are lacking if this applies to moths. Power line corridors run through the landscape and their adjacent environment are thus very varied. This study investigates the abundance and species richness of moths (Macrolepidoptera) in northern Sweden, along narrow power line corridors surrounded by different successional stages of boreal forest, compared to forests unaffected by power lines. Mid- and late summer season and temperature effects were also investigated. Moths were collected in july and august 2022 by sampling at night with light traps. No significant difference could be demonstrated between power line corridors surrounded by different forest types and the control group, for either abundance or species richness. Even though there were no difference in species richness between sites, the species composition of moths in each habitat varied. The result may indicate that moths in different forest types potentially can use the narrow power line corridors that run through the area, if the local environment is favorable and vital host plants are present, but more studies are needed to investigate power lines as novel habitats and possible effects of the surrounding environment. Furthermore, abundance and species richness of moths were greater in late summer, and postively corellated with higher temperatures at nights, which indicates that these factors should be taken into account when sampling moths to survey and evaluate populations in a site.  National long-term studies of moths are lacking and an increased knowledge of status and trends of moth communities is needed. From a conservation point-of-view, the areas beneath power lines should be managed and optimized with a landscape perspective in consideration. More studies are necessary to evaluate power line corridors possibility to act as potential novel habitats for important groups of organisms that are declining, for example insects such as moths.

No description available.

Το βακτήριο Wolbachia είναι ένα ενδοκυττάριο και μητρικά κληρονομούμενο συμβιωτικό βακτήριο. Ανήκει στην ομοταξία των Alphaproteobacteria και την τάξη των Rickettsiales. Αποτελεί ίσως τον πιο διαδεδομένο ενδοκυττάριο συμβιωτικό οργανισμό στον πλανήτη, καθώς έχει εντοπιστεί μέχρι στιγμής σε πληθώρα αρθροπόδων και νηματωδών της φιλαρίασης. Πρόσφατες μελέτες εκτιμούν ότι πάνω από το 40% των ειδών αρθροπόδων είναι μολυσμένα με το βακτήριο Wolbachia. Το συμβιωτικό αυτό βακτήριο επηρεάζει τις βιολογικές λειτουργίες και ιδιότητες των ξενιστών του και είναι υπεύθυνο για μια σειρά αναπαραγωγικών ανωμαλιών, όπως η κυτταροπλασματική ασυμβατότητα, η παρθενογένεση, η θανάτωση των αρσενικών εμβρύων και η θηλυκοποίηση. Τα μοναδικά αυτά βιολογικά χαρακτηριστικά του βακτηρίου Wolbachia προσελκύουν όλο και περισσότερο το ενδιαφέρον διαφόρων ερευνητών τόσο για το ρόλο του βακτηρίου σε εξελικτικές διαδικασίες (κυρίως ειδογένεση) όσο και για τη χρησιμοποίησή του σε περιβαλλοντικά φιλικές εφαρμογές καταπολέμησης οργανισμών που είναι επιβλαβείς στους τομείς του γεωργικού και δασικού περιβάλλοντος, και της υγείας. Τα είδη του γένους Glossina (Diptera: Glossinidae), γνωστά και ως μύγες τσε-τσε, αποτελούν ξενιστές του βακτηρίου Wolbachia. Η μύγα τσε-τσε είναι ο σημαντικότερος φορέας των παθογόνων τρυπανοσωμάτων στην τροπική Αφρική, τα οποία προκαλούν την ασθένεια του ύπνου (sleeping sickness) στον άνθρωπο και την αντίστοιχη τρυπανοσωμίαση, γνωστή ως nagana, στα ζώα. Η χρησιμοποίηση του βακτηρίου Wolbachia σε μεθόδους βιολογικής καταπολέμησης της μύγας τσε-τσε προαπαιτεί την πλήρη γνώση της γενετικής του ταυτότητας και των αλληλεπιδράσεων του με το ξενιστή. Προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή, και στα πλαίσια της παρούσας διατριβής, πραγματοποιήθηκε η ανίχνευση του συμβιωτικού βακτηρίου Wolbachia σε περισσότερα από 5300 άτομα από φυσικούς και εργαστηριακούς πληθυσμούς 11 διαφορετικών ειδών μύγας τσε-τσε από 13 Αφρικανικές χώρες. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν τεράστια απόκλιση της παρουσίας του βακτηρίου τόσο μεταξύ ειδών όσο και μεταξύ πληθυσμών του ίδιου είδους. Επίσης, πραγματοποιήθηκε ο γενετικός χαρακτηρισμός των στελεχών Wolbachia από συνολικά 29 αντιπροσωπευτικά δείγματα διαφόρων πληθυσμών και ειδών μύγας τσε-τσε, ενώ σε αρκετά από αυτά παρατηρήθηκαν πολλαπλά στελέχη του βακτηρίου. Διαπιστώθηκε εντυπωσιακή γενετική ποικιλότητα στελεχών Wolbachia που απαντούν στα διάφορα είδη μύγας τσε-τσε καθώς και ασυμφωνία μεταξύ των φυλογενειών των στελεχών Wolbachia και των μυγών τσε-τσε ξενιστών της, γεγονός που σημαίνει οριζόντια μετακίνηση του συμβιωτικού βακτηρίου κατά την εξέλιξη. Επιπρόσθετα, εντοπίστηκαν για πρώτη φορά εκτεταμένα γεγονότα οριζόντιας μεταφοράς βακτηριακών γονιδίων στο γονιδίωμα τριών ειδών μύγας τσε-τσε: στο Glossina morsitans morsitans, Glossina pallidipes και Glossina austeni. Από εξελικτικής σκοπιάς, κρίσιμα ερωτήματα προκύπτουν από τα παραπάνω ευρήματα, και πιο συγκεκριμένα σχετικά με: την προέλευση-μηχανισμό αυτών των γεγονότων οριζόντιας μεταφοράς, τον χρονικό προσδιορισμό τους, τον πιθανό ρόλο τους σε διαδικασίες ειδογένεσης και την επιλεκτική εμφάνισή τους σε ορισμένα μόνο είδη Glossina π.χ. στo υποείδos Glossina morsitans centralis που είναι πολύ συγγενικό του Glossina morsitans morsitans δεν παρατηρήθηκε το φαινόμενο. Εξίσου σημαντική και επιβεβλημένη κρίνεται η διεξοδική διερεύνηση του ενδεχομένου τα βακτηριακά γονίδια που ενσωματώθηκαν στο ευκαρυωτικό γονιδίωμα της μύγας τσε-τσε να ευθύνονται για την έκφραση νέων λειτουργιών-ιδιοτήτων (ή να μεταβάλλουν τις ήδη υπάρχουσες), ιδίως μάλιστα εάν αυτές συνδέονται με την αποδοτικότητα μετάδοσης της νόσου της τρυπανοσωμίασης μέσω του φορέα της, δηλαδή της μύγας τσε-τσε. Τέλος, διαπιστώθηκε πιθανή αρνητική συσχέτιση της παρουσίας του βακτηρίου Wolbachia με τον παθογόνο ιό Salivary Gland hypertrophy Virus (SGHV), γεγονός που συζητείται στα πλαίσια βιολογικών εφαρμογών καταπολέμησης του εντόμου-φορέα και της τρυπανοσωμίασης. Παράλληλα, μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον παρουσιάζει η προοπτική χρησιμοποίησης του βακτηρίου Wolbachia για τη βιολογική καταπολέμηση εντόμων αγροτικής ή /και περιβαλλοντικής σημασίας, όπως είναι οι αφίδες και η καρπόκαψα καστανιάς. Το γεγονός αυτό προϋποθέτει την ανίχνευση και τη γενετική ταυτοποίηση του βακτηρίου σε φυσικούς πληθυσμούς εντόμων. Στα πλαίσια της παρούσας διατριβής πραγματοποιήθηκε ανίχνευση και χαρακτηρισμός του βακτηρίου Wolbachia σε 78 συνολικά άτομα από 22 είδη αφίδων, από 26 φυσικούς πληθυσμούς από την Ελλάδα. Από αυτούς τους 26 πληθυσμούς, μόλις οι 4 βρέθηκαν να είναι μολυσμένοι με το βακτήριο Wolbachia και συγκεκριμένα πληθυσμοί των ειδών: Aphis fabae, Aphis hederae, Metopolophium dirhodum και Baizongia pistaciae. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτά δείχνουν για πρώτη φορά ότι η παρουσία του βακτηρίου Wolbachia στις αφίδες είναι πιθανά πιο διαδεδομένη από ότι προέκυπτε από προηγούμενες μελέτες. Επίσης, μελετήθηκε η ανίχνευση και ο χαρακτηρισμός του βακτηρίου Wolbachia στα είδη Cydia splendana, Cydia fagiglandana και Pammene fasciana. Το βακτήριο Wolbachia ανιχνεύθηκε για πρώτη φορά στα συγκεκριμένα είδη και μάλιστα διαπιστώθηκε ότι η συχνότητα εμφάνισής του ποικίλει τόσο μεταξύ των δύο ειδών Cydia όσο και μεταξύ των πληθυσμών του κάθε είδους. Στο είδος Pammene fasciana, το βακτήριο ανιχνεύθηκε σε όλα τα άτομα που μελετήθηκαν. Τα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας διατριβής συζητούνται από τη σκοπιά τόσο της οικολογικής και εξελικτικής σημασίας τους όσο και της προοπτικής χρησιμοποίησης του συμβιωτικού βακτηρίου Wolbachia για τον πληθυσμιακό έλεγχο επιβλαβών εντόμων όπως οι μύγες τσε-τσε, οι αφίδες και η καρπόκαψα καστανιάς. / Wolbachia is an intracellular and maternally inherited symbiotic bacterium that belongs to the class of Alphaproteobacteria and the order of Rickettsiales. It is the most ubiquitous intracellular symbiotic organism of the planet, since it has been estimated that over 40% of insect species, in addition to filarial nematodes, crustaceans, and arachnids are infected with Wolbachia. In arthropods Wolbachia affects the biological functions and properties of its hosts and it is responsible for a number of reproductive abnormalities, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization of genetic males and male killing. These unique biological characteristics of Wolbachia are attracting the interest of various researchers for: (a) decyphering the role of Wolbachia in evolutionary processes (mainly speciation), and (b) for its use in environmentally friendly applications for the control of agricultural pests and disease vectors. The species of genus Glossina (Diptera: Glossinidae) known as tsetse flies, have been found to be infected with Wolbachia. Tsetse flies are the sole vectors of pathogenic trypanosomes in tropical Africa, causing the “sleeping sickness” in humans and the “nagana” in animals. The potential use of Wolbachia for the control of tsetse flies, prerequisite a thorough knowledge of its genetic identity and the interactions with the host. To further characterize the prevalence of Wolbachia in tsetse flies an extensive screen of more than 5300 specimens from natural and laboratory populations of 11 different Glossina species originating from 13 African countries was carried out. Our results indicated a huge divergence in the prevalence of Wolbachia, both among the species and among populations of the same species. Further characterization by MLST and wsp genotyping was carried out for the Wolbachia strains of 29 representative populations and species of tsetse flies. An impressive genetic diversity of Wolbachia strains in tsetse flies was revealed. Interestingly, disconcordance between the phylogeny of Wolbachia and that of the tsetse flies was observed, suggesting horizontal transmission of Wolbachia during the evolution. Moreover, extended horizontal gene transfer events were detected for first time in Glossina morsitans morsitans, Glossina pallidipes και Glossina austeni. These results raise critical questions concerning: (a) the origin/mechanism of these horizontal gene transfer events, (b) their temporal determination, (c) their potential role as agents of speciation and (d) their selective appearance in only some Glossina species e.g in the subspecies Glossina morsitans centralis which is closely related with Glossina morsitans morsitans the phenomenon was not observed. Equally important will be to examine if genes from the chromosomal insertions were potentially expressed and examine if these genes are associated with the vectorial capacity of tsetse flies for the trypanosoma transmission. Finally, a negative correlation between the presence of Wolbachia with the Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus (SGHV) was identified. This is further discussed in the context of biological applications for control of tsetse fly-vector and trypanosomiasis. Finally in this thesis, the detection and characterization of Wolbachia in 78 specimens of 22 aphids species, from 26 natural populations, from Greece was examined. Only 4 out of 26 populations were found to be infected with Wolbachia, and specifically the species: Aphis fabae, Aphis hederae, Metopolophium dirhodum και Baizongia pistaciae. These results indicated that the presence of Wolbachia in aphids is probably more prevalent than it was derived from previous studies. Also, detection and characterization of Wolbachia in the Cydia splendana, Cydia fagiglandana and Pammene fasciana was carried out. Wolbachia was detected for first time in these species, and it was found that the prevalence of Wolbachia varies between the two species of Cydia and among populations of each species, with the infection in Pammene fasciana being fixed. At the end the ecological and evolutionary importance of Wolbachia, together with the use of the bacterium for the population control of harmful insects like tsetse flies, aphids and moths is further discussed.