Lv, J.-M., Liu, X.-J., Zheng, X.-Y., Deng, C.-Y., Chen, X.-N., Yu, S.-H., Wang, X., & Huang, Y.-X. 2026 Metagenomic Insights Into How Diet Shapes Gut Microbiota Composition and Function in Scale Insects. Entomological Research https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-5967.70133
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Notes: Many insects harbor diverse gut microbiota, but the factors shaping these microbial communities remain insufficiently explored. To elucidate the structure and functions of gut microbiota in the scale insect Coronaproctus castanopsis and identify key influencing factors, we performed metagenomic sequencing on three scale insect species (C. castanopsis, Icerya purchasi, and Lecanodiaspis baculifera) with distinct dietary preferences. Results revealed bacteria dominating the microbial community (88.52%), primarily represented by phyla Bacteroidota and Pseudomonadota. At the genus level, Candidatus Walczuchella (55.47%) and Wolbachia (28.63%) were predominant. KEGG functional annotation showed that microbial genes were mainly associated with carbohydrate metabolism (335 genes), amino acid metabolism (249 genes), and membrane transport. Notably, gut microbiota diversity varied among samples, with Shannon indices ranging from 0.48 in nymph-stage C. castanopsis to 1.32 in adult-stage C. castanopsis. Additionally, specialized feeder C. castanopsis had fewer functional genes compared to generalist feeder I. purchasi (1790 fewer genes) and similarly feeding L. baculifera (200 fewer genes). These findings suggest that diet is an important factor associated with gut microbiota composition and gene functions in scale insects, although host phylogeny, developmental stage, and environmental factors may also contribute, offering novel insights into host–microbe interactions.
