Microbial community function associated with ephemeral resources as mediated by nutrient content and dipteran larval activity

Microorganisms play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter, which recycles nutrients back into ecosystems. Microbial function, with regards to nutrient recycling of vertebrate carrion, is heavily linked to insect activity. If arthropod access to an ephemeral resource is inhibited, succession of the associated epinecrotic microbial community is altered and the rate of nutrient recycling inhibited. In this study, larvae of black soldier flies, Hermetia illucens L., (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), were fed an artificial diet with known shifts in protein-carbohydrate ratios, at three moisture levels. BioLog Ecoplates™ were used to determine the change in microbial community function as a result of nutrient composition and feeding activity of the larvae. Previous work indicates that succession patterns of microbial function change throughout decomposition, and as a result, could be used for predicting the minimum postmortem interval. However, the potential effect of the highly variable nutritional content of the resource itself has not been considered. Such information could provide insight into understanding the mechanisms regulating arthropod efficiency of consuming decomposing organic matter and the recycling of nutrients back into the environment.