The microbial flora of Aphis gossypii: patterns across host plants and geographical space.

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, has a worldwide distribution and causes damage to numerous economically important crops. The bacterial symbionts associated with cotton aphids, sampled mainly from malvaceous and cucurbitaceous plants within Japan and Australia, were characterised using molecular profiling approaches. The goal was to document the aphid symbionts present and determine if patterns of microbial diversity are consistent with the existence of host plant related cryptic species in A. gossypii. The bacterial profiles of the aphids are diverse and reflect local geography more than host plant use.