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.

中文翻译：

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huhu 的实验室饲养，Prionoplus reticularis（天牛科）：对肠道微生物组的洞察

摘要 我们在确定的纤维素（棉花）和木质纤维素（松树）日粮中开发了一种实验室饲养方法，用于培育蛴螬蛴螬（鞘翅目：天牛科）。Huhu 蛴螬被证明会增加体重并最终在这些饮食中发生变态，这是成功利用基质促进健康生长的两个迹象。由于昆虫通常依赖其肠道微生物组来协助营养同化，因此这种饲养方法被用于研究 P. reticularis 的肠道微生物组，使用产生的粪便作为肠道内容物的代表。在这项初步研究中，frass 中真菌群落多样性的模式表明它们的组成受饮食的显着影响；然而，饮食对细菌群落多样性的影响不太清楚。结果确实证明了实验模型在研究由饮食改变引起的肠道微生物组变化方面的潜力。这种方法可以证明在识别参与木质纤维素分解的微生物或聚生体方面是必不可少的。