Parasites & Vectors · 4 authors, 1 centre
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This study used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the gut bacterial microbiota of three laboratory-reared sand fly species reared under the same conditions. Adult Ph. papatasi and Ph. duboscqi harbored similar microbiome compositions that were distinct from that of adult Lu. longipalpis, indicating that host species phylogeny determines gut microbial community structure.
All three species were reared under identical laboratory conditions for more than five years to control for environmental variables. Larvae of the three species harbored similar microbes with different relative abundances, while adult Ph. papatasi and Ph. duboscqi had similar microbiome compositions distinct from that of Lu. longipalpis. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum across samples. Microbial load markedly reduced after adult emergence and increased after blood feeding. The experiment was repeated twice with consistent host phylogeny conclusions, although distinct microbiome compositions within the same species were identified between replicates, possibly due to different larval food batches. Limitations include sample pooling rather than individual analysis, potentially obscuring individual-level variation.
