Abstract

Background The influence of microbiota in ecological interactions, and in particular competition, is poorly known. We studied competition between two insect species, the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii and the model Drosophila melanogaster, whose larval ecological niches overlap in ripe, but not rotten, fruit.Results We discovered D. suzukii females prevent costly interspecific larval competition by avoiding oviposition on substrates previously visited by D. melanogaster. More precisely, D. melanogaster association with gut bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus triggered D. suzukii avoidance. However, D. suzukii avoidance behavior is condition-dependent, and D. suzukii females that themselves carry D. melanogaster bacteria stop avoiding sites visited by D. melanogaster. The adaptive significance of avoiding cues from the competitor's microbiota was revealed by experimentally reproducing in-fruit larval competition: reduced survival of D. suzukii larvae only occurred if the competitor had its normal microbiota.Conclusions This study establishes microbiotas as potent mediators of interspecific competition and reveals a central role for context-dependent behaviors under bacterial influence.

Keywords

Microbiota; Symbiosis; Competition; Agroecology

Published in

Microbiome
2023, Volume: 11, number: 1, article number: 201
Publisher: BMC

SLU Authors

• Becher, Paul

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology
Behavioral Sciences Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01617-8

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/128424