Comparison of bacterial microbiota of the predatory mite Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and its factitious prey Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acari: Acaridae)

Abstract

Neoseiulus cucumeris is a predatory mite used for biological control of arthropod pests. Mass-reared predators are fed with factitious prey mites such as Tyrophagus putrescentiae. Although some information on certain endosymbionts of N. cucumeris and T. putrescentiae exists, it is unclear whether both species share bacterial communities. The bacterial communities in populations of predator and prey mites, as well as the occurence of potential acaropathogenic bacteria were analyzed. The comparisons were based on the following groups: (i) N. cucumeris mass-production; (ii) N. cucumeris laboratory population with disease symptoms; (iii) T. putrescentiae pure populations and; (iv) T. putrescentiae from rearing units of N. cucumeris. Only 15% of OTUs were present in all samples from predatory and prey mite populations (core OTUs): the intracellular symbionts Wolbachia, Cardinium, plus other Blattabacterium-like, Solitalea-like, and Bartonella-like symbionts. Environmental bacteria were more abundant in predatory mites, while symbiotic bacteria prevailed in prey mites. Relative numbers of certain bacterial taxa were significantly different between the microbiota of prey mites reared with and without N. cucumeris. No significant differences were found in the bacterial communities of healthy N. cucumeris compared to N. cucumeris showing disease symptoms. We did not identify any confirmed acaropathogenic bacteria among microbiota.

High-throughput sequencing of gut microbiota in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed larval and pre-pupae stages of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

“…5) and this bacterium has been reported to produce high levels of lipase (Brennan, et al, 2002). The C. variabile has been found in the gut of insects, such as the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) (Storelli, et al, 2011) and predatory mites (Neoseiulus cucumeris) (Pekas, et al, 2017), which suggests this bacterium in our study may have originated from the insect meal. This bacterium may also be derived from the insect rearing facility or substrate.…”

Optimizing aphid biocontrol with the predator Aphidoletes aphidimyza, based on biology and ecology

“…Finally, insights into the genetic variability among populations, presence and role of endosymbionts may provide valuable information for evaluating and selecting strains‐populations with desired characteristics for mass rearing and more efficient use in biological control.…”

The coordination chemistry of CmIII, AmIII, and AcIIIin nitrate solutions: an actinide L3-edge EXAFS study

“…For Cm III and Am III , HNO 3 solutions find widespread application in almost every advanced nuclear fuel processing flow chart. 4 , 22 – 24 Additionally, HNO 3 is widely used in the production of 225 Ac for medical purposes (targeted alpha therapy), both in terms of purifying 225 Ac from 232 Th targets irradiated with high energy protons 25 – 27 and when isolating 225 Ac from 229 Th generators. 28 – 30 Towards these ends, we contribute an An III L 3 -edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study focused on characterizing Cm III , Am III , and Ac III solution-phase coordination chemistry as a function of increasing HNO 3 concentration.…”