Mosquito Microbiome Diversity Varies Along a Landscape-Scale Moisture Gradient

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Microbiology
• Vector Biology

Background:

• Host-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) are crucial for host biology.
• Microbiome composition can vary significantly among individuals within a host population.
• Environmental factors driving this variation are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of local climate and land-use patterns on the microbiome of the mosquito Aedes albopictus.
• To test if landscape-scale moisture and urbanization correlate with mosquito microbiome diversity.

Main Methods:

• Sampling of Aedes albopictus across O'ahu, Hawai'i, representing diverse environmental conditions.
• Analysis of mosquito microbiome composition using molecular techniques.
• Statistical correlation of microbiome data with landscape-scale moisture gradients and urbanization indices.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between the relative abundance of bacterial symbionts and a landscape-scale moisture gradient.
• Mosquito microbiome composition exhibited turnover across the moisture gradient.
• No significant evidence linked mosquito microbiome diversity to urbanization levels.

Conclusions:

• Local climate, specifically moisture, is a key driver shaping the Aedes albopictus microbiome.
• Urbanization patterns do not appear to significantly influence mosquito microbiome diversity in this study.
• Findings provide insights into host-microbiome assembly influenced by environmental heterogeneity, relevant to climate change impacts.