Phenological asynchrony between host plant and gypsy moth reduces insect gut microbiota and susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis.

ABSTRACT: The phenological synchrony between the emergence of overwintering herbivorous insects and the budding of host plants is considered a crucial factor in the population dynamics of herbivores. However, the mechanisms driving the interactions between the host plant, herbivores, and their pathogens are often obscure. In the current study, an artificially induced phenological asynchrony was used to investigate how the asynchrony between silver birch Betula pendula and gypsy moth Lymantria dispar affects the immunity of the insect to bacteria, its susceptibility to the entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, and the diversity in its midgut microbiota. The lysozyme-like activity in both the midgut and hemolymph plasma and the nonspecific esterase activity and antimic

SUBMITTER: Martemyanov VV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5513265 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature