Microbiome Associated with the Mycangia of Female and Male Adults of the Ambrosia Beetle Platypus cylindrus Fab. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

The ambrosia beetle Platypus cylindrus is a major cork oak pest in Portugal. Beetles have different roles in host tree colonization and are equipped with specific structures (mycangia) for fungal transportation. The information on bacterial composition associated with mycangia is scarce. The bacterial community present in the mycangia of P. cylindrus male and female beetles collected from cork oak galleries was investigated. Mycangia anatomical structure was also explored using histological and 3D imaging techniques to highlight evidence of biological sexual dimorphism. A diverse bacterial community with few gender-specific bacteria was shown and histology revealed connections linking external and internal tissues only in females, providing the first insights into sexual differentiation for bacteria in a Platypodinae beetle species.

The ambrosia beetle Platypus cylindrus Fab. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a major cork oak pest in Portugal. Female and male beetles have different roles in host tree colonization and are both equipped with prothoracic mycangia for fungal transportation. Despite a known beneficial role of bacteria in ambrosia beetles, information on bacterial composition associated with prothoracic mycangia structures is scarce. Bacterial community from mycangia of P. cylindrus male and female beetles collected from cork oak galleries was investigated by means of 16S metagenomics. Mycangia anatomical structure was also explored with histological techniques and X-ray computed microtomography to highlight evidence supporting biological sexual dimorphism. A bacterial community with highly diverse bacterial taxa with low abundances at the genus level was revealed. Lactobacillales, Leptotrichia, Neisseria, Rothia, and Sphingomonadaceae were significantly more abundant in males, while Acinetobacter, Chitinophagaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erwiniaceae, Microbacteriaceae, and Pseudoclavibacter were more abundant in females. Additionally, a core bacteriome of five genera was shared by both sexes. Histological examination revealed visible connections linking external and internal tissues in females, but none in males. Overall, these results provide the first insights into sexual differentiation for bacteria in a Platypodinae beetle species, identifying key patterns of bacteria distribution in the context of beetle ecology and functional behavior.