Modulation of the emerald ash borer gut microbiome in relation to its host

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic insect pest native to Asia that causes environmental, ecological and economic damage in North America. This Buprestidae first detected in 2002 at Canada-U.S. border, known as the most devastative pest in recent decades is a real threat for ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Although some efforts have been developed to slow the EAB rate of progression, recent studies suggested the microbial approach in the pest management may be a more suitable strategy. It is increasingly being established that the insect gut microbiome may play crucial role for their host survival. But there is still lack of information on the mechanisms by which that microbiome could contribute to the biological adaptation of the insect in new environments. Our study based on next generation sequencing technologies targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA and the ITS2 fungal couple with multivariate analyzes allowed to reveal the bacterial and fungal communities associated with the host leaves as significant drivers in the variation observed in the taxonomic structure of the insects’ gut microbiome. Most of the adult insect’s gut fungal microbiome appeared to be transitory and potentially acquired from the insect’s environment compare to a more stable bacterial microbiome. Our current study aims to improve our understanding of the interplay between EAB microbiomes. Future directions are investigating the plasticity of both adult and larval EAB gut functional microbiome when facing changing environments such as distinct host species, or the levels of infestation.