Wolbachia is a common and widespread group of bacteria found in many arthropods. They are transmitted through the cytoplasm of eggs and have evolved various mechanisms for manipulating reproduction of their hosts. Plutella xylostella (L.) is a common lepidopteran pest of cruciferous vegetables. In this study, a strain of Wolbachia was detected in a natural population of P. xylostella in Beijing, based on PCR amplification of its wsp gene, cloning and sequencing. The sequenced wsp gene was named as wXyl. It was found that Wolbachia are distributed in the thorax, abdomen and legs of P. xylostella adults detected. wXyl belongs to the subgroup Pip in supergroup B. This is the first report that Wolbachia is distributed in a natural population of P. xylostella in China.