Microbiomes of 2024's Periodical Cicada Brood XIII Vary By Species and Location.

ABSTRACT: The 17-year Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) are long-lived insects that emerge in mass synchronized events after 17 years underground. Their survival and ecological success depend heavily on their microbiomes, which include obligate bacterial symbionts essential for nutrient acquisition, as well as occasional pathogens such as the behavior-altering fungus Massospora cicadina. While the periodical cicada lifecycle is well studied, little is known about how cicada microbiomes vary across species and environments during a single emergence event. During the 2024 emergence of Brood XIII in northern Illinois, 17-year cicadas were sampled from four ecologically distinct forest preserves. Cicadas were identified by species and sex; their microbiomes were assayed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing

SUBMITTER: Price A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12532616 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature