Convergent bacterial microbiotas in the fungal agricultural systems of insects.

ABSTRACT:

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The ability to cultivate food is an innovation that has produced some of the most successful ecological strategies on the planet. Although most well recognized in humans, where agriculture represents a defining feature of civilization, species of ants, beetles, and termites have also independently evolved symbioses with fungi that they cultivate for food. Despite occurring across divergent insect and fungal lineages, the fungivorous niches of these insects are remarkably similar, indicating convergent evolution toward this successful ecological strategy. Here, we characterize the microbiota of ants, beetles, and termites engaged in nutritional symbioses with fungi to define the bacterial groups associated with these prominent herbivores and forest pests. Using culture-in

SUBMITTER: Aylward FO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4251994 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature