External insect gall morphology influences the functional guilds of natural enemy communities.

The evolution of diverse and novel morphological traits is poorly understood, especially how symbiotic interactions can drive these adaptations. The extreme diversity of external traits in insect-induced galls is currently explained by the Enemy Hypothesis, in which these traits have selective advantage in deterring parasitism. While previous tests of this hypothesis used only taxonomic identity, we argue that ecologically functional traits of enemies (i.

Discovery of a new gall-inducing species, (Insecta, Diptera, Tephritidae) via multi-trait integrative taxonomy.

Integrative taxonomic practices that combine multiple lines of evidence for species delimitation greatly improve our understanding of intra- and inter-species variation and biodiversity. However, extended phenotypes remain underutilized despite their potential as a species-specific set of extracorporeal morphological and life history traits. Primarily relying on variations in wing patterns has caused taxonomic confusion in the genus , which are gall-inducing flies on Asteraceae plants in western North America.

Increased environmental microbial diversity reduces the disease risk of a mosquitocidal pathogen.

The host-specific microbiotas of animals can both reduce and increase disease risks from pathogens. In contrast, how environmental microbial communities affect pathogens is largely unexplored. Aquatic habitats are of interest because water enables environmental microbes to readily interact with animal pathogens.

Diet-Microbiota Interactions Alter Mosquito Development.

Gut microbes and diet can both strongly affect the biology of multicellular animals, but it is often difficult to disentangle microbiota-diet interactions due to the complex microbial communities many animals harbor and the nutritionally variable diets they consume. While theoretical and empirical studies indicate that greater microbiota diversity is beneficial for many animal hosts, there have been few tests performed in aquatic invertebrates. Most mosquito species are aquatic detritivores during their juvenile stages that harbor variable microbiotas and consume diets that range from nutrient rich to nutrient poor.

Multiple origins of obligate nematode and insect symbionts by a clade of bacteria closely related to plant pathogens.

Obligate symbioses involving intracellular bacteria have transformed eukaryotic life, from providing aerobic respiration and photosynthesis to enabling colonization of previously inaccessible niches, such as feeding on xylem and phloem, and surviving in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. A major challenge in the study of obligate symbioses is to understand how they arise. Because the best studied obligate symbioses are ancient, it is especially challenging to identify early or intermediate stages.

Rediscovering a Forgotten System of Symbiosis: Historical Perspective and Future Potential.

While the majority of symbiosis research is focused on bacteria, microbial eukaryotes play important roles in the microbiota and as pathogens, especially the incredibly diverse Fungi kingdom. The recent emergence of widespread pathogens in wildlife (bats, amphibians, snakes) and multidrug-resistant opportunists in human populations () has highlighted the importance of better understanding animal-fungus interactions. Regardless of their prominence there are few animal-fungus symbiosis models, but modern technological advances are allowing researchers to utilize novel organisms and systems.

Host determinants of among-species variation in microbiome composition in drosophilid flies.

The taxonomic composition of microbial communities in animals varies among animal species, but the contribution of interspecific differences in filtering of the microbial pool by the animal host to this variation is uncertain. Here, we demonstrate significant interspecific variation in microbial community composition among laboratory-reared Drosophila species that was not related to host phylogeny. Complementary reciprocal transfer experiments yielded different microbial communities for a single microbiota administered to homologous and heterologous hosts (i.

Functional variation in the gut microbiome of wild Drosophila populations.

Most of the evidence that the gut microbiome of animals is functionally variable, with consequences for the health and fitness of the animal host, is based on laboratory studies, often using inbred animals under tightly controlled conditions. It is largely unknown whether these microbiome effects would be evident in outbred animal populations under natural conditions. In this study, we quantified the functional traits of the gut microbiota (metagenome) and host (gut transcriptome) and the taxonomic composition of the gut microorganisms (16S rRNA gene sequence) in natural populations of three mycophagous Drosophila species.

How gut transcriptional function of Drosophila melanogaster varies with the presence and composition of the gut microbiota.

Despite evidence from laboratory experiments that perturbation of the gut microbiota affects many traits of the animal host, our understanding of the effect of variation in microbiota composition on animals in natural populations is very limited. The core purpose of this study on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was to identify the impact of natural variation in the taxonomic composition of gut bacterial communities on host traits, with the gut transcriptome as a molecular index of microbiota-responsive host traits. Use of the gut transcriptome was validated by demonstrating significant transcriptional differences between the guts of laboratory flies colonized with bacteria and maintained under axenic conditions.

A Distinctive and Host-Restricted Gut Microbiota in Populations of a Cactophilic Drosophila Species.

Almost all animals possess gut microbial communities, but the nature of these communities varies immensely. For example, in social bees and mammals, the composition is relatively constant within species and is dominated by specialist bacteria that do not live elsewhere; in laboratory studies and field surveys of , however, gut communities consist of bacteria that are ingested with food and that vary widely among individuals and localities. We addressed whether an ecological specialist in its natural habitat has a microbiota dominated by gut specialists or by environmental bacteria.

Community structure of the gut microbiota in sympatric species of wild Drosophila.

Many aspects of animal ecology and physiology are influenced by the microbial communities within them. The underlying forces contributing to the assembly and diversity of gut microbiotas include chance events, host-based selection and interactions among microorganisms within these communities. We surveyed 215 wild individuals from four sympatric species of Drosophila that share a common diet of decaying mushrooms.

The Bee Microbiome: Impact on Bee Health and Model for Evolution and Ecology of Host-Microbe Interactions.

As pollinators, bees are cornerstones for terrestrial ecosystem stability and key components in agricultural productivity. All animals, including bees, are associated with a diverse community of microbes, commonly referred to as the microbiome. The bee microbiome is likely to be a crucial factor affecting host health.

Laterally Transferred Gene Recruited as a Venom in Parasitoid Wasps.

Parasitoid wasps use venom to manipulate the immunity and metabolism of their host insects in a variety of ways to provide resources for their offspring. Yet, how genes are recruited and evolve to perform venom functions remain open questions. A recently recognized source of eukaryotic genome innovation is lateral gene transfer (LGT).

Routes of Acquisition of the Gut Microbiota of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

Studies of newly emerged Apis mellifera worker bees have demonstrated that their guts are colonized by a consistent core microbiota within several days of eclosure. We conducted experiments aimed at illuminating the transmission routes and spatiotemporal colonization dynamics of this microbiota. Experimental groups of newly emerged workers were maintained in cup cages and exposed to different potential transmission sources.

Genomic features of a bumble bee symbiont reflect its host environment.

Here, we report the genome of one gammaproteobacterial member of the gut microbiota, for which we propose the name "Candidatus Schmidhempelia bombi," that was inadvertently sequenced alongside the genome of its host, the bumble bee, Bombus impatiens. This symbiont is a member of the recently described bacterial order Orbales, which has been collected from the guts of diverse insect species; however, "Ca. Schmidhempelia" has been identified exclusively with bumble bees.

Abiotic factors shape microbial diversity in Sonoran Desert soils.

High-throughput, culture-independent surveys of bacterial and archaeal communities in soil have illuminated the importance of both edaphic and biotic influences on microbial diversity, yet few studies compare the relative importance of these factors. Here, we employ multiplexed pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to examine soil- and cactus-associated rhizosphere microbial communities of the Sonoran Desert and the artificial desert biome of the Biosphere2 research facility. The results of our replicate sampling approach show that microbial communities are shaped primarily by soil characteristics associated with geographic locations, while rhizosphere associations are secondary factors.

Functional diversity within the simple gut microbiota of the honey bee.

Animals living in social communities typically harbor a characteristic gut microbiota important for nutrition and pathogen defense. Accordingly, in the gut of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, a distinctive microbial community, composed of a taxonomically restricted set of species specific to social bees, has been identified. Despite the ecological and economical importance of honey bees and the increasing concern about population declines, the role of their gut symbionts for colony health and nutrition is unknown.

Establishment of characteristic gut bacteria during development of the honeybee worker.

Previous surveys have shown that adult honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers harbor a characteristic gut microbiota that may play a significant role in bee health. For three major phylotypes within this microbiota, we have characterized distributions and abundances across the life cycle and among gut organs. These distinctive phylotypes, called Beta, Firm-5, and Gamma-1 (BFG), were assayed using quantitative PCR, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy, and the experimental manipulation of inoculation routes within developing bees.

A simple and distinctive microbiota associated with honey bees and bumble bees.

Specialized relationships with bacteria often allow animals to exploit a new diet by providing a novel set of metabolic capabilities. Bees are a monophyletic group of Hymenoptera that transitioned to a completely herbivorous diet from the carnivorous diet of their wasp ancestors. Recent culture-independent studies suggest that a set of distinctive bacterial species inhabits the gut of the honey bee, Apis mellifera.