Laboratory rearing of huhu, Prionoplus reticularis (Cerambycidae): insights into the gut microbiome

ABSTRACT

We developed a laboratory rearing method for huhu grubs, Prionoplus reticularis White (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), on defined cellulose (cotton) and lignocellulose (pine) diets. Huhu grubs were shown to both gain weight and eventually undergo metamorphosis on these diets, two indications of successful use of the substrates for healthy growth. Since insects typically rely on their gut microbiome to assist in nutrient assimilation this rearing method was used to study the gut microbiome of P. reticularis, using the frass produced as a proxy for the gut contents. In this preliminary study patterns of fungal community diversity in frass suggest that their composition is significantly influenced by diet; however, the influence of diet on bacterial community diversity was less clear. Results do demonstrate the potential of the experimental model for studying shifts in the gut microbiome induced by diet change. This approach could prove essential in identifying microorganisms, or consortia, involved in the breakdown of lignocellulose.

KEYWORDS:

• Cellulose
• gut
• huhu
• lignocellulose
• microbiome
• New Zealand
• Prionoplus reticularis

Acknowledgements

We especially thank Roanna Richards-Babbage (Waikato University) for assistance with DNA extraction and sample preparation for ARISA fingerprinting that was carried out at the Waikato DNA Sequencing Facility, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Ian R. McDonald http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4847-6492