article · Scientific Reports
This research investigated the role of gut bacteria in the cowpea beetle's resistance to pesticides. The study hypothesised that gut microbiota mediates the beetle's resistance to dichlorvos and is a target for *Lippia adoensis* essential oil. By exposing symbiotic and aposymbiotic beetles to treated artificial cowpea seeds, it was found that the beetles' susceptibility to dichlorvos was significantly influenced by their symbiotic status, with aposymbiotic groups showing higher mortality. Conversely, the essential oil caused consistent mortality regardless of symbiotic status. The essential oil also significantly reduced the richness, diversity, and abundance of gut bacteria compared to dichlorvos and control treatments. These findings support the hypothesis, highlighting the responses of gut microbial communities to pesticide treatments.
Understanding how insect gut bacteria influence pesticide resistance is crucial for effective pest control. This research reveals that targeting these microbial communities could offer novel approaches to manage agricultural pests like the cowpea beetle, potentially reducing reliance on conventional pesticides and improving food security.
This early-stage research identifies a potential pathway for developing new pest management strategies for the cowpea beetle. The findings suggest that *Lippia adoensis* essential oil could be explored as a biopesticide or as part of an integrated pest management programme, potentially targeting the gut microbiome. This could be of interest to agricultural chemical companies or organisations focused on sustainable pest control solutions.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Abstract Bacteria inhabiting the gut of insects provide many benefits to their hosts, such as aiding in food digestion, reproduction, and immunity, tissue homeostasis, adaptation to environment and resistance to pathogen and pesticides. The cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is a serious cosmopolitan pest of pulses. This beetle has lent itself as a guinea pig for several ecological studies. It harbors a consortium of bacterial communities in its gut, but the evidence for their role in its physiology is fragmentary. In this work, we hypothesized that gut microbiota mediates C. maculatus resistance to dichlorvos (DDVP or O,O-dimethyl O-2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate) and represent the target of Lippia adoensis (Gambian Tea Bush) essential oil (EO). Symbiotic and aposymbiotic beetles were exposed to artificial cowpea seeds earlier treated with DDVP or EO. Adult mortality and changes in gut bacterial community composition and abundance were examined at F1 and F5 generations. The susceptibility of experimental beetles to DDVP was significantly affected by their symbiotic status. The adult mortality decreased across generations in DDVP treatments, and remained significantly higher in aposymbiotic groups. In EO treatments, the mortality was consistent irrespective of symbiotic status and experimental generations. When compared to DDVP and the Control, EO treatments had significantly lower bacterial richness and diversity, as well as lower abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. These results support our hypothesis and describe the responses of gut microbial communities to pesticide treatments. This could be of interest for developing new management strategies of this pest.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42843-1
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
