Influence of native and exotic plant diet on the gut microbiome of the Gray's Malayan stick insect, Lonchodes brevipes

Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbiology

Yan Zhen Lim¹  Yan Hong Poh¹  Eunice Jingmei Tan²  Benjamin J. Wainwright²  Stephen Brian Pointing²  Kevin C. Lee³ 

[1] Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore;Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore;Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore;School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand;

关键词: insect microbiomes;    phasmatodea;    Lonchodes brevipes;    host plant;    herbivores;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199187

 received in 2023-04-03, accepted in 2023-07-05,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Herbivorous insects require an active lignocellulolytic microbiome to process their diet. Stick insects (phasmids) are common in the tropics and display a cosmopolitan host plant feeding preference. The microbiomes of social insects are vertically transmitted to offspring, while for solitary species, such as phasmids, it has been assumed that microbiomes are acquired from their diet. This study reports the characterization of the gut microbiome for the Gray's Malayan stick insect, Lonchodes brevipes, reared on native and introduced species of host plants and compared to the microbiome of the host plant and surrounding soil to gain insight into possible sources of recruitment. Clear differences in the gut microbiome occurred between insects fed on native and exotic plant diets, and the native diet displayed a more species-rich fungal microbiome. While the findings suggest that phasmids may be capable of adapting their gut microbiome to changing diets, it is uncertain whether this may lead to any change in dietary efficiency or organismal fitness. Further insight in this regard may assist conservation and management decision-making.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Lim, Poh, Lee, Pointing, Wainwright and Tan.