Bacterial colonisation in the gut of Phlebotomus duboscqi (Diptera: Psychodidae): transtadial passage and the role of female diet

Abstract

Abstract. Bacteria isolated from the gut of different developmental stages of Phlebotomus duboscqi Neveu-Lemaire, 1906 belonged almost all to aerobic or facultatively anaerobic gram-negative rods. In females, the highest bacterial counts were observed two days after bloodfeeding; seven days after bloodfeeding the bacterial counts returned to pre-feeding levels. Most isolates were identified phenotypically as Ochrobactrum sp. The distinctiveness and homogeneity of the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Ochrobactrum isolates indicated that they belonged to a single strain (designated AK). This strain was acquired by larvae from food and passaged transtadially: it was isolated from the guts of fourth-instar larvae shortly before pupation, from pupae as well from newly emerged females. Most other bacteria found in females were acquired from the sugar solution fed to adults. To determine if the midgut lectin activity may serve as antibacterial agent females were membrane-fed on blood with addition of inhibitory carbohydrates. No significant differences in bacterial infections were found between experimental and control groups and we suppose that the lectin activity has no effect on gram-negative bacteria present in sandfly gut.

Study on the bacterial midgut microbiota associated to different Brazilian populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae)

“…K. ozaenae, also common to these mosquitoes, was not found associated to the three sand fl y populations analyzed in here, but was found associated in previous screenings of L. longipalpis from Lapinha Cave by Oliveira et al (2000). S. marcescens was also isolated in lab-colonies of Phlebotomus duboscqi (Volf et al 2002). The ubiquitous P. agglomerans is considered the Gram negative bacterium more regularly associate to ground and plants .…”

Isolation, characterization and virulence of bacteria from Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

“…(Murrell et al 2003), Variovorax paradoxus (Dillon et al 2008), Corynebacterium glutamicum (Mrazek et al 2008) and Ochrobactrum sp. (Volf et al 2002) with insects has previously been demonstrated. However, to our knowledge, this is the first documentation of Brevundimonas aurantiaca, Chryseobacterium formosense, Microbacterium thalassium and Microbacterium testaceum species from any insect.…”

Caspar-like Gene Depletion Reduces Leishmania Infection in Sand Fly Host Lutzomyia longipalpis

“…E. coli and M. luteus were included as standard type species. S. marcescens was used because of its potential as an insect pathogen that has been found in sand flies (27), and Ochrobactrum is found at a low level in the sand fly colony and has been found in other sand fly colonies (28). P. agglomerans is a commonly isolated commensal/symbiont from many species of insects including sand flies (27,29).…”