BAKLANOVA V.S., KUPRIN A.V.
A.I.Kurentsov memorial lectures 2026; 37: 28-42
The study of insect-microbe interactions is among the key areas of modern entomology and ecology. Gut microbiota acts as a critical factor determining physiological health, nutrition, detoxification, and adaptive capacity of insects. Of particular interest are saproxylic species, in which symbiotic microorganisms participate in lignocellulose degradation. This study analyzed the effect of two types of artificial diets (standard and fungal-based) on the culturable gut microbiota of Zophobas atratus larvae. Five functional groups of microorganisms were isolated: cellulolytic bacteria, amino acid autotrophs, enterobacteria, yeasts, and molds. In larvae reared on the standard diet, the most abundant groups were enterobacteria and amino acid autotrophs, whereas the fungal-based diet resulted in a predominance of enterobacteria and yeasts. Molds were the least represented group under both dietary conditions. According to 16S rRNA gene sequencing data, bacterial isolates belonged to four phyla: Pseudomonadota (dominant), Actinobacteria, Bacillota, and Bacteroidota. A stable «core» of culturable microbiota was identified, comprising the genera Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, and Bacillus, along with diet-specific taxa: Micrococcus and Brucella were associated with the standard diet, while Citrobacter and Pseudomonas were associated with the fungal-based diet. The obtained data demonstrate the plasticity of the gut microbiota and provide isolated strains for functional studies.
