AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science. 2019. 41(2): 364–371 AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science www.agrivita.ub.ac.id 364 INTRODUCTION The interaction between insects and bacteria have evolved over millions of years, usually forming a symbiotic association that ranges from mutualism or commensalism, to parasitism. These endosymbionts provided either an obligate or facultative function. Obligate endosymbionts were maternally inherited and generally provided a nutritional beneft, supplying essential nutrients, and specialized to specifc host organs (Baumann, 2005). Removal of this endosymbiont resulted in notably agile body weight and meager growth rate and the efects were persisted to the ofspring (Kuriwada et al., 2010). In comparison, facultative endosymbionts were not crucial for host continuity and their existence could be neutral, benefcial or even detrimental to the host (Oliver, Degnan, Burke, & Moran, 2010). Facultative endosymbionts living in the haemolymph of the insect, in some cases, enabled to horizontally transfer between hosts (Ishii, Matsuura, Kakizawa, Nikoh, & Fukatsua, 2013). One common example is Wolbachia which is the main topic of this study. Wolbachia comprises a group of bacterial endosymbiont that belongs to the order of ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Insect Endosymbiont Parasitoid Wsp Gene Article History: Received: March 5, 2018 Accepted: May 18, 2019 * ) Corresponding author: E-mail: damibuchori@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Wolbachia that have been found to be maternally inherited in arthropods, including insects behave primarily as a reproductive parasite by inducing feminization and/or death among genetic males; causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, and activating parthenogenesis, in host insects. This research aims to detect the presence of Wolbachia in several parasitic insects and to determine the diversity of Wolbachia at the supergroup level. Insect genetic samples were collected, amplifed using wsp (Wolbachia surface protein) gene and with the sequences then analyzed using species homologues drawn from the Genbank database. These activities were conducted to detect the intra- cellular presence of Wolbachia and assembled the phylogenetic tree of the respected bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Wolbachia existed in the samples belonging to the supergroup A (found in Cherapron sp.) and supergroup B (found in E. japonica). Wolbachia were detected in seven out of nine wasps i.e. Anagyrus lopezi, Ceraphron sp., Microplitis manilae, Brachymeria lasus, Scelionidae sp01, Trichogramma sp, and Exorista japonica. Single infection by Wolbachia supergroup A was detected in A. lopezi, Ceraphron sp., M. manilae, and Scelionidae sp01. Meanwhile single infection by Wolbachia supergroup B was detected only in E. japonica. Double infection by both supergroups occurred in B. lasus and Trichogramma sp. samples. ISSN: 0126-0537 Accredited First Grade by Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of The Republic of Indonesia, Decree No: 30/E/KPT/2018 Cite this as: Pradana, M. G., Giyanto, Furukawa, S., Nakamura, S., & Buchori, D. (2019). Detection of Wolbachia Endosymbiont in Several Agriculturally Important Insect Parasitoids in Bogor, Indonesia. AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science, 41(2), 364–371. http://doi.org/10.17503/agrivita.v41i2.1855 Detection of Wolbachia Endosymbiont in Several Agriculturally Important Insect Parasitoids in Bogor, Indonesia Mahardika Gama Pradana 1,2) , Giyanto 1) , Seiichi Furukawa 3) , Satoshi Nakamura 4) and Damayanti Buchori 1,5*) 1) Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia 2) Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia 3) Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan 4) Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan 5) Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia