Investigating the potential for vertically inherited bacterial symbionts in Schistocerca cancellata

Locusts have the potential for creating devastating plagues. Understanding the mechanisms and contributing factors to the plastic nature of Schistocerca cancellata’s behavior and phenotype is timely, as this species recently started swarming again after a half century hiatus. Research focusing on digestive systems across insects, emphasizes that incorporating phylogenetic relationships and microbiota can expose important information on patterns of dietary specialization. Considering the close phylogenetic relationship between the S. cancellata and the S. gregaria, our lab currently investigating the degree to which the S. cancellata microbiome is consistent with its congener’s. Locust microbiota are highly conserved bacteria within the gut of a population and across generations indicated the possibility for vertical transmission. Recently, a comparative investigation of bacterial communities of reproductive systems of solitary and gregarious S. gregaria had demonstrated distinct microbiota in the two phases. The desert locusts’ reproductive tracts were dominated by a single species, Brevibacterium salitolerance. We hypothesize that the dominant bacteria symbiont in the eggs of gregarious S. cancellata are B. salitolerance. To test this hypothesis, we will characterize the microbiomes of the eggs using diagnostic PCR and 16S amplicon sequencing. DNA extractions from pools of S. cancellata eggs were screened for known locust-associated symbionts using PCR followed by amplicon sequencing to determine community composition and identify S. cancellata specific symbionts. This work is important as we continue to dissect the role microbiota play in locust physiology, life history, and behavioral plasticity.