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Related Experiment Videos

Methane production in terrestrial arthropods

J H Hackstein1, C K Stumm

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Science, Catholic University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|June 7, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Terrestrial arthropods, including millipedes and termites, host methane-producing bacteria in their hindguts. These symbiotic relationships reveal a significant, previously underestimated source of biogenic methane contributing to the atmosphere.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Biogenic methane is a potent greenhouse gas with complex origins.
  • Terrestrial arthropods represent a vast and diverse group of organisms with significant biomass.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and origins of methane production in terrestrial arthropods.
  • To identify the types of symbiotic relationships involved in methane production within arthropods.

Main Methods:

  • Screening over 110 terrestrial arthropod species for methane production.
  • Analyzing hindgut contents for the presence of methanogenic bacteria and symbiotic associations.
  • Investigating three distinct types of symbiosis between arthropods and methanogens.

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Main Results:

  • Methanogenic bacteria were found in the hindguts of tropical millipedes, cockroaches, termites, and scarab beetles.
  • These methanogens were absent in 66 other investigated arthropod species.
  • Three types of symbiosis were identified: free bacteria, bacteria associated with chitinous structures, and protist-mediated symbiosis.

Conclusions:

  • Symbiotic associations with methanogens are characteristic of specific arthropod taxa.
  • Methane-producing arthropods constitute a substantial global biomass.
  • Arthropod symbionts are a significant contributor to atmospheric methane production.