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- Title
Influence of native and exotic plant diet on the gut microbiome of the Gray’s Malayan stick insect, Lonchodes brevipes.
- Authors
Yan Zhen Lim; Yan Hong Poh; Lee, Kevin C.; Pointing, Stephen Brian; Wainwright, Benjamin J.; Tan, Eunice Jingmei
- Abstract
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.
- Subjects
PHASMIDA; GUT microbiome; INTRODUCED plants; NATIVE plants; HOST plants
- Publication
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2023, p1
- ISSN
1664-302X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199187