Bug's skin bacteria get stronger at fighting disease when it's hot
Wu J, Tu C, Fan R, Xu L
Climate Adaptation
If you've noticed fewer caterpillars or leaf beetles surviving a brutal summer heatwave on your willows, it might not be the heat killing them directly but a shift in the invisible bacterial armor on their skin that determines whether a fungal infection takes hold.
A small beetle that eats willow leaves carries helpful bacteria living right on its outer shell, kind of like a protective coating. Normally one type of bacteria dominates, but when a heatwave hits, a different bacteria takes over the job and actually fights fungal infections even better in the heat. This means the beetle has a backup defense system built in that swaps players depending on the weather, helping it survive diseases even as the climate warms.
Key Findings
Cuticular microbiota significantly improved larval survival against the fungus Beauveria bassiana at both 27°C (control) and 32°C (simulated heatwave) conditions.
A microbial regime shift occurred with temperature: Pantoea dominated at control temperatures while Enterobacter became predominant during heatwaves, and both genera showed antifungal activity that increased with rising temperature.
Recolonizing germ-free larvae with isolated Enterobacter gergoviae or Pantoea anthophila restored fungal resistance, and these symbionts worked by directly inhibiting fungal germination and boosting host antimicrobial peptide production.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that a willow leaf beetle's skin-dwelling bacteria protect it from a deadly fungal infection, and the bacteria actually get better at fighting off disease as temperatures rise during heatwaves.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Heatwave-Resilient Cuticular Microbiota Protect the Leaf Beetle Plagiodera versicolora From Fungal Infection.
The increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves-extreme thermal events characterized by prolonged supra-optimal temperatures-exert profound impacts on global ecosystem stability and species int...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Nanoplastics interfere with plant-mycorrhizal communication and limit plant growth.
Microplastics breaking down in your garden soil are quietly strangling the beneficial fungi that help your vegetables absorb phosphorus and other nutrients, ...
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus Salix, comprise around 350 species of typically deciduous trees and shrubs. They are primarily found on moist soils in cold and temperate regions.