| Summary: | Heritable endosymbiont <i>Wolbachia</i> is prevalent among arthropods, serving multiple functions for their hosts. However, the role of <i>Wolbachia</i> in mediating thermal preference selection remains largely unexplored. In this study, we utilized a custom-built thermal gradient to evaluate the thermal preference (Tp) of 1367 individuals of the invasive leaf-miner <i>Liriomyza huidobrensis</i> with or without <i>Wolbachia</i> wLhui from Yunnan and Xinjiang populations. Under meticulously controlled conditions and with a vast sample size, we found no significant difference in the mean Tp between wLhui-infected and uninfected leaf miners from either population when host age and sex were not considered. Furthermore, generalized linear model (GLM) analysis revealed no significant correlation between average Tp and age, sex, or <i>Wolbachia</i> infection, nor interactions among these factors, except in the Xinjiang population, where Tp was strongly associated with host age. Finally, we discuss the ecological implications of these findings and propose future research directions on <i>Wolbachia</i>-mediated host Tp in the leaf miner. Overall, our findings do not provide evidence that <i>Wolbachia</i> significantly affects the thermal preference of <i>L. huidobrensis</i>. Further studies across different systems are needed to investigate the complex interactions between <i>Wolbachia</i> and insect thermal behavior.
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