Competitive Exclusion of Phytopathogenic Serratia marcescens from Squash Bug Vectors by the Gut Endosymbiont .

Many insects harbor microbial symbiotic partners that offer protection against pathogens, parasitoids, and other natural enemies. Mounting evidence suggests that these symbiotic microbes can play key roles in determining infection outcomes in insect vectors, making them important players in the quest to develop novel vector control strategies. Using the squash bug , we investigated how the presence of symbionts affected the persistence and intensity of phytopathogenic Serratia marcescens within the insect vector.