Ambrosia beetles, along with termites and leafcutter ants, are the only fungus-farming lineages within the tree of life. Bacteria harbored by ambrosia beetles may play an essential role in the nutritional symbiotic interactions with their associated fungi; however, little is known about the impact of rearing conditions on the microbiota of ambrosia beetles. We have used culture-independent methods to explore the effect of rearing conditions on the microbiome associated with Xyleborus affinis, Xyleborus bispinatus, and Xyleborus volvulus, evaluating different media in laboratory-controlled conditions and comparing wild and laboratory conditions. Our results revealed that rearing conditions affected the fungal and bacterial microbiome structure and had a strong influence on bacterial metabolic capacities. We propose that the rearing conditions influence the ambrosia-associated fungal and bacterial communities. Furthermore, bacterial microbiome flexibility may help beetles adapt to different substrates.
CITATION STYLE
Ibarra-Juarez, L. A., Desgarennes, D., Vázquez-Rosas-Landa, M., Villafan, E., Alonso-Sánchez, A., Ferrera-Rodríguez, O., … Lamelas, A. (2018). Impact of rearing conditions on the Ambrosia Beetle’s microbiome. Life, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/life8040063
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