Mites were either set up as cultures in the lab or stored in 96% ethanol. DNA was extracted from single mites using the CTAB extraction method as previously described [54] or using find more the NucleoSpin Kit (Macherey-Nagel, Düren, Germany) following manufacturers’ instructions. For Wolbachia, four genes were amplified and sequenced: wsp, flsZ, groEL, and trmD. Wsp was amplified and sequenced using the primers wsp-81F and wsp-691R [70]. FtsZ and groEl were amplified and sequenced as described in Ros et al. [49]. TrmD was amplified and sequenced using the primers trmD-F 5’-GAACTATTCTCTTTGCCGGAAAAGC-3’

and trmD-R 5’-CACTGCTCAGGTCTAGTATATTGAGG-3’.These primers were designed from available Wolbachia and Rickettsia genome sequences [71–73] and were shown to buy Fer-1 reliably amplify products from strains representative of supergroups A and B (data not shown; samples kindly donated by Dr. Robert Butcher). For Cardinium, two genes were amplified: 16S rDNA and gyrB. 16S rDNA was amplified and sequenced directly using the primers CLOf and CLOr1 [2]. GyrB was amplified using primers from Groot and Breeuwer [74], cloned, and subsequently sequenced. PKC412 concentration Amplified fragments were separated from non-specific products by running the PCR products on a 1% agarose in 1x TAE gel and excising the fragments from the gel. Fragments were purified using the method of Boom et al. [75]. Products were first cloned and subsequently sequenced following the cloning protocol

described below, with 1-2 clones sequenced per sample using M13 forward and reverse primers. PCR amplifications were performed

in 25 μl reactions containing 1X Super Taq buffer (HT BioTechnology, Cambridge, UK), 0.5 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA), 1.25 mM MgCl2, 0.2 mM dNTP’s, 160 nM of each primer, 1 u of Super Taq (HT BioTechnology), and 2.5 μl of DNA extract. For ftsZ, groEL, and trmD, no MgCl2 was added and for 16S rDNA no MgCl2 and BSA was added. PCR cycling profile for wsp and ftsZ was 35 cycles of 30 sec. at 95 °C, 30 sec. at 51 °C, and 1 min. at 72 °C, for groEL and trmD 35 cycles of 1 min. at 95 °C, 1 min. at 49 °C, and 1.5 min. at 72 °C, for Cardinium 16S rDNA 35 cycles of 40 sec. at 95 °C, 40 sec. at 57 °C, and 45 sec. at 72 °C, and for gyrB 35 cycles of 1 min. at 95 °C, 1 min. at 50 °C, and 1 min. at 72 °C. Products (2 μl) were visualized on a 1% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide in 0.5X TBE buffer (45mM Tris base, 45mM Pyruvate dehydrogenase boric acid, and 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0). PCR products were purified using a DNA extraction kit (Fermentas, St. Leon-Rot, Germany). The purified products were directly sequenced using the ABI PRISM BigDye Terminator Sequence Kit (Applied Biosystems, Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel, The Netherlands). Both strands of the products were sequenced using the same primers as used in the PCR amplification. Sequences were run on an ABI 3700 automated DNA sequencer. All new unique sequence data have been submitted to the GenBank under accession numbers: JN572802-JN572888 (see Additional file 4).