It is often taken for granted that all animals host and depend upon a microbiome, yet this
has only been shown for a small proportion of species. We propose that animals span a …

Many animals depend on microbial symbionts to provide nutrition, defence or other services.
Holometabolous insects, as well as other animals that undergo metamorphosis, face …

Many animals are inhabited by microbial symbionts that influence their hosts’ development,
physiology, ecological interactions, and evolutionary diversification. However, firm evidence …

Butterflies are charismatic insects that have long been a focus of biological research. They
are also habitats for microorganisms, yet these microbial symbionts are little-studied, despite …

Animals are distinguished by having guts—organs that must extract nutrients from food yet
also bar invasion by pathogens. Most guts are colonized by nonpathogenic microorganisms, …

The majority of insect species consume plants, many of which produce chemical toxins that
defend their tissues from attack. How then are herbivorous insects able to develop on a …

Research on insect microbiota has greatly expanded over the past decade, along with a
growing appreciation of the microbial contributions to insect ecology and evolution. Many of …

Much of the morbidity and mortality associated with influenza virus respiratory infection is
due to bacterial coinfection with pathogens that colonize the upper respiratory tract such as …

Antibiotics are routinely used to improve livestock health and growth. However, this practice
may have unintended environmental impacts mediated by interactions among the wide …

Bumblebees (Bombus) are charismatic and important pollinators. They are one of the best-studied
insect groups, especially in terms of ecology, behavior, and social structure. As many …