Gut Bacterial Communities of Dendroctonus valens and Monoterpenes and Carbohydrates of Pinus tabuliformis at Different Attack Densities to Host Pines.

ABSTRACT: Insects harbor a community of gut bacteria, ranging from pathogenic to obligate mutualistic organisms. Both biotic and abiotic factors can influence species composition and structure of the insect gut bacterial communities. Dendroctonus valens is a destructive forest pest in China. To overcome host pine defenses, beetles mass-attack the pine to a threshold density that can exhaust pine defenses. The intensity of pine chemical defenses and carbohydrate concentrations of pines can be influenced by beetle attack, both of which are known factors that modify beetle's gut microbiota. However, little is known to what extent variation exists in the beetle's gut communities, and host monoterpenes and carbohydrates at different attack densities. In this study, the gut bacterial microbiota of

SUBMITTER: Xu D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6011813 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature