Preliminary examination of gut bacteria from Neodiprion abietis (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) larvae

J. ent. Soc. Ont. 138: 49–63 The gut microbiotas of insects are important for many processes, including digestion, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient recycling. Bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) extracted from excised Neodiprion abietis larval guts was amplified using PCR. Two combinations of primers produced six fragments that were separated using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). The DNA fragments were sequenced directly. BLAST-n analysis and comparison-rank searches, using the Ribosomal Database Project II, revealed four predicted bacterial species, one that had similarity to Alphaproteobacteria and three that aligned with Gammaproteobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis by maximum parsimony and neighbour joining confirmed these findings and suggest that Rahnella, Yersinia, Enterobacter, and a Caulobacter-like species inhabit the N. abietis larval gut.