Metagenomic Analysis of the Gut Bacteriome of Usherhopper, Poekilocerus bufonius (Klug) from Hadda, Saudi Arabia

Background:Microbial communities that colonize insect guts contribute positively to the absorption of nutrients, immunity and the overall health of the host. Recent studies have been tapered towards only economically important arthropods, particularly honeybees. On the other hand, arthropods such as grasshoppers are considered as pests because they create havoc leading to economic losses. Grasshoppers are considered phytophagous pests that have a large appetite for plant fibers, whose digestion depend largely on the bacterial communities in their guts. This study characterises the gut microbiome in Usherhopper, Poekilocerus bufonius using the metagenomics methods through the next generation sequencing (NGS). Results:A total of 59,072,222 bacterial reads were recorded which were classified into phylum and genus levels. Proteobacteria were the most shared at the phylum-level whereas Wolbachia were the most dominant genera based on the total reads. Conclusions: The host-microbiome interactions and their perceived influence on the ecosystem are yet to be fully explained, therefore a detailed study is pivotal in order to enforce effective conservation and pest management.