Identification and evaluation of cultivable gut bacteria associated with peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify the cultivable gut bacteria associated with peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, and evaluate their potential to attract adults of B. zonata. Based on culture-dependent characterization methods and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, bacteria were identified as members of family Enterobacteriaceae (BZM1, Klebsiella oxytoca), Microbacteriacea (BZM2, Microbacterium spp.) and Nocardiaceae (BZM4, Rhodococcus spp.). Molecular phylogeny placed Klebsiella oxytoca within gram negative γ-proteobacteria whereas, Microbacterium spp. and Rhodococcus spp. were clustered under gram positive Actinobacteria group in family Microbacteriacea and Nocardiaceae, respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison with the available NCBI database sequences further confirmed the characterizations of bacterial symbionts. Population of these bacterial species increased significantly up to the 11 th day after emergence of adults and thereafter it remains constant. Among 3 bacterial symbionts, metabolites produced from K. oxytoca had the highest attraction to the B. zonata adult females over metabolites produced from other bacteria and their combinations in field bioassay. The B. zonata adult male flies attracted to metabolites produced from each bacterial symbionts alone and their combinations were less in number with comparison to the B. zonata adult females. The present study provides the first description of the attractancy potential of metabolites produced by gut microbial community of B. zonata in open field condition. This study results may prompt the development of a female-targeted population control strategy for this fly.

Alimentary microbes of winter‐form Drosophila suzukii

“…Owing to the experimental method employed in the studies by Naaz et al . () and Hamby et al . (), the full complement of microorganisms in the gut flora community was not fully explored, as the studies were restricted to those species that could be cultivated under laboratory conditions.…”

“…The microbial genera we identified include some of those found previously in other studies investigating the gut flora of fruit fly species. Fruit fly control strategies using metabolites, produced by bacteria or yeasts found in association with gut contents, have been developed for the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zona (Naaz et al ., ). The results from our study have provided a list of candidate genera that, with further investigation, could enable a similar approach to be undertaken for use in future bait development to attract winter‐form D. suzukii .…”

Molecular identification of cultivable bacteria in the gut of adult Bactrocera tau (Walker) and their trapping effect

“…Among those three symbiots, they found that metabolites produced by K. oxytoca had the highest attraction to the B. zonata adult females in a field bioassay. 16 Augustinos et al also isolated Enterobacter sp. from the Mediterranean fruit fly.…”

“…oxytoca had the highest attraction to the B . zonata adult females in a field bioassay . Augustinos et al .…”

Repressed Beauveria bassiana infections in Delia antiqua due to associated microbiota

“…The onion maggot causes large loses in onion yields and in other Liliaceae crops . These pests harbor a myriad of microbes, especially bacterial symbionts, in their guts, on their cuticle surface and in their habitat . Increasing numbers of reports have revealed the contribution of these microbial symbionts to improving insect host fitness, including supplementing food nutrition, overcoming host defenses, promoting larval development, facilitating kin recognition and mediating adult behavior .…”