The Microbiome of Field-Caught and Laboratory-Adapted Australian Tephritid Fruit Fly Species with Different Host Plant Use and Specialisation

Abstract

Tephritid fruit fly species display a diversity of host plant specialisation on a scale from monophagy to polyphagy. Furthermore, while some species prefer ripening fruit, a few are restricted to damaged or rotting fruit. Such a diversity of host plant use may be reflected in the microbial symbiont diversity of tephritids and their grade of dependency on their microbiomes. Here, we investigated the microbiome of six tephritid species from three genera, including species that are polyphagous pests (Bactrocera tryoni, Bactrocera neohumeralis, Bactrocera jarvisi, Ceratitis capitata) and a monophagous specialist (Bactrocera cacuminata). These were compared with the microbiome of a non-pestiferous but polyphagous tephritid species that is restricted to damaged or rotting fruit (Dirioxa pornia). The bacterial community associated with whole fruit flies was analysed by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) amplicon pyrosequencing to detect potential drivers of taxonomic composition. Overall, the dominant bacterial families were Enterobacteriaceae and Acetobacteraceae (both Proteobacteria), and Streptococcaceae and Enterococcaceae (both Firmicutes). Comparisons across species and genera found different microbial composition in the three tephritid genera, but limited consistent differentiation between Bactrocera species. Within Bactrocera species, differentiation of microbial composition seemed to be influenced by the environment, possibly including their diets; beyond this, tephritid species identity or ecology also had an effect. The microbiome of D. pornia was most distinct from the other five species, which may be due to its ecologically different niche of rotting or damaged fruit, as opposed to ripening fruit favoured by the other species. Our study is the first amplicon pyrosequencing study to compare the microbiomes of tephritid species and thus delivers important information about the turnover of microbial diversity within and between fruit fly species and their potential application in pest management strategies.

Bacterial Communities Associated with Houseflies (Musca domestica L.) Sampled within and between Farms

“…Many of the genera found in the present study have not been found associated with the housefly before. Alpha diversity measures were also higher in the present study compared to other studies looking at the microbiota of arthropods [52,53,59–61]. Average Chao1 ranged from 750 to 1,500 and Shannon diversity index from 3.4 to 5.4.…”

Symbionts in waiting: the dynamics of incipient endosymbiont complementation and replacement in minimal bacterial communities of psyllids

“…Depending on availability, these were adults (females or males) and/or nymphs (fourth or fifth instar) from one to up to seven populations. All specimens were surface sterilised with 4% sodium hypochlorite as described in Morrow et al [44], and DNA was extracted from whole individuals using DNeasy 96 Blood and Tissue kit (Qiagen) including RNase treatment with 0.4 mg RNase (Sigma). DNA quality and yield was assessed by Nanodrop spectrophotometry, Qubit 2.0 Fluorometry and gel electrophoresis.…”

“…Extracts of high molecular weight and amplifiable DNA were submitted to the HIE Next Generation Sequencing Facility for 16S rRNA gene amplification using primers 341F and 805R, which encompass the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and produce a fragment of approximately 464 bp, including primers [44]. Library preparation, inputting 7 ng of DNA extract, was performed using the Nextera XT kit and 2 × 300 bp paired-end sequencing on a 384-multiplexed Illumina MiSeq run.…”

Death Becomes Them: Bacterial Community Dynamics and Stilbene Antibiotic Production in Cadavers of Galleria mellonella Killed by Heterorhabditis and Photorhabdus spp

“…5 and 6). It seems possible that Photorhabdus might naturally encounter Enterococcus, since Enterococcus species have been found in the digestive tracts of wild-caught insects (65,(69)(70)(71)(72). EDITS production might be an important way in which Photorhabdus spp.…”