Limited Variation in Bacterial Communities of <i>Scaphoideus titanus</i> (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Across European Populations and Different Life Stages

Limited Variation in Bacterial Communities of <i>Scaphoideus titanus</i> (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Across European Populations and Different Life Stages

The Nearctic leafhopper <i>Scaphoideus titanus</i> (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is the primary vector of ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma vitis’, the causative agent of Flavescence doreé in Europe. Although microorganisms play an important role in the ecology and behavior of insec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Juan Sebastian Enciso, Erika Corretto, Luigimaria Borruso, Hannes Schuler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
<i>Scaphoideus titanus</i>
bacterial communities
16S rRNA gene metabarcoding
endosymbionts
<i>Karelsulcia</i>
<i>Cardinium</i>
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/11/830
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Summary:The Nearctic leafhopper <i>Scaphoideus titanus</i> (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is the primary vector of ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma vitis’, the causative agent of Flavescence doreé in Europe. Although microorganisms play an important role in the ecology and behavior of insects, knowledge about the interaction between <i>S. titanus</i> and microbes is limited. In this study, we employed an amplicon metabarcoding approach for profiling the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the bacterial communities of <i>S. titanus</i> across several populations from four European localities. Additionally, we investigated changes in bacterial communities between nymphal and adult stages. In total, we identified 7,472 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in adults from the European populations. At the genus level, ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Karelsulcia’ and ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Cardinium’ were the most abundant genera, with both being present in every individual. While we found significant changes in the microbial composition of <i>S. titanus</i> across different European populations, no significant differences were observed between nymphal and adult stages. Our study reveals new insights into the microbial composition of <i>S. titanus</i> and highlights the role of geography in influencing its bacterial community.
ISSN:2075-4450

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