Bacterial communities associated with ambrosia beetles: current knowledge and existing gaps

Area of Science:

• * Entomology
• * Microbial Ecology
• * Symbiosis Research

Background:

• * Ambrosia beetles are wood-boring insects known for fungus-insect symbiosis and invasive success.
• * Research has primarily focused on their fungal symbionts, leaving bacterial communities understudied.
• * This review synthesizes current knowledge on ambrosia beetle bacterial microbiota.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To review existing literature on ambrosia beetle bacterial communities.
• * To identify knowledge gaps in the field.
• * To provide recommendations for future research directions.

Main Methods:

• * Synthesis of data from eight existing metabarcoding studies.
• * Analysis of bacterial communities in mycetangia, fungal gardens, and whole beetles.
• * Examination of studies using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding (515F/806RB primers recommended).

Main Results:

• * Bacterial communities are generally specific to individual ambrosia beetle species.
• * Bacterial communities differ between beetles and their associated fungal gardens.
• * Studies analyzed 13 beetle species, predominantly from the Xyleborini tribe.

Conclusions:

• * Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the functional roles of dominant bacterial taxa.
• * Factors influencing microbial composition and function require further investigation.
• * Advanced molecular techniques like (meta)genomics are crucial for future research.