Effect of habitat diversity on endosymbiont diversity within the guts of insects

Insects are an abundant and influential part of natural and managed ecosystems. A major component to understanding the biology of insects is understanding the symbiotic influence the microbial community has on insects. Many insects harbor symbiotic microbes that can alter various aspects of insect behavior and biology including diet digestion, sex determination, and pathogen defense. Habitat diversity has a major influence on insect and bacterial diversity within an environment. We assessed whether or not habitat diversity also influences the endosymbiont community within the gastrointestinal tract of the insects. This was tested through biodiversity samples taken from replicated sites of high, medium, and low vegetative diversity (e.g., prairie, pasture, and cornfields respectively). Biodiversity of plant and insect communities was characterized for each site. Microbial communities in the guts of field and ground crickets were described based on sequence diversity. The results of this experiment show that microbial diversity within insect stomachs, and presumably their functions within these insects, is tied to the biodiversity within the habitats where insects live.