MATERNALLY INHERITED BACTERIUM CAUSING FE MALE BIAS IN THE ST-PETERSBURG POPULATION OF ADALIA-BIPUNCTATA DOES NOT BELONG TO THE GENUS RICKETTSIA

Secondary sex ratio is female biased (72 females : 34 males) in the St , Petersburg population of Adalia bipunctata. Approximately 50% of fem ales produced unisexual progeny lacking males. This trait was maternal ly inherited for five generations in progeny of such females. The male -killing factor can be eliminated by treatment with tetracycline, i.e. , it represents a bacterium that transmits transovarially. In contrast to the male-killing agent from British and Netherland populations, th is bacterium does not belong to the genus Rickettsia, as was demonstra ted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers.