Lim Yan Zhen, Poh Yan Hong, Lee Kevin C, Pointing Stephen Brian, Wainwright Benjamin J, Tan Eunice Jingmei
Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore.
School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Front Microbiol. 2023 Jul 27;14:1199187. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199187. eCollection 2023.
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, , 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.
植食性昆虫需要活跃的木质纤维素分解微生物群落来处理它们的食物。竹节虫在热带地区很常见，并且表现出对世界各地寄主植物的取食偏好。群居昆虫的微生物群落会垂直传递给后代，而对于像竹节虫这样的独居物种，人们认为其微生物群落是从食物中获取的。本研究报告了以本地和引入的寄主植物物种饲养的格雷氏马来亚竹节虫肠道微生物群落的特征，并将其与寄主植物和周围土壤的微生物群落进行比较，以深入了解可能的微生物来源。以本地和外来植物为食的昆虫肠道微生物群落存在明显差异，以本地植物为食的昆虫显示出真菌微生物群落物种更为丰富。虽然研究结果表明竹节虫可能能够使其肠道微生物群落适应不断变化的食物，但尚不确定这是否会导致饮食效率或生物体适应性的任何变化。在这方面的进一步深入了解可能有助于保护和管理决策。
