Investigation on Gut Microbiota Diversity of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Larvae

• Published in: Biology bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 294 - 301
• Main Authors: Farzane Basavand, Khani, Abbas, Yaghubi, Sajad, Najimi, Mohsen, Sahebzadeh, Najmeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-04-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacillus; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Cellulose; Coleoptera; Curculionidae; Digestive system; Ecology; Gastrointestinal tract; Intestinal microflora; Kocuria; Larvae; Life cycles; Life Sciences; Mating behavior; Microbiology; Microbiota; rRNA 16S; Serratia; Shigella; Zoology; RPW; alimentary tract bacteria; the red palm weevil; insect’s symbionts; Sistan and Baluchistan
• ISSN: 1062-3590; 1608-3059
• DOI: 10.1134/S106235902360352X

The red palm weevil (RPW)
Rhynchophorus
ferrugineus
(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a species of beetle that depends on palm trees to complete its life cycle. RPW larvae feed on palm trunks and can cause tree death, with significant impacts on both wild and cultivated palms. The larvae burrow into the trunk of the palm and feed on the delicate tissue and sap of the palm, killing the host tree. Herbivore insect gut microbiota play important roles in host physiological characteristics such as nutritional needs, immunity, growth and developmental mechanisms, and mating behavior. The aim of this study was to determine the gut microbiota diversity of RPW larvae sampled in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran. Analysis of 16S rRNA amplified directly from the intestine showed the presence of
Serratia
sp.,
Klebsiella
sp., and
Shigella
sp. from the Enterobacteriaceae family,
Bacillus
sp. from the Bacillacea family,
Enterococcus
sp. from the Enterococcaceae family, and
Kocuria
sp. from the Micrococcaceae family. The results of their cultivation on a modified CMCAgar medium showed that
Kocuria
,
Serratia
,
Bacillus
,
Shigella
genera have the ability to degrade cellulose. Identifying the bacterial flora and determining their role can be essential to controlling and reducing the population of this pest.