Symbiont-mediated insect host defense against parasitism: insights from the endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa and the insect host, Myzus persicae

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sap-feeding insects like aphids can harbor a complex of bacterial symbionts, including a primary nutritional symbiont and secondary symbionts that may influence various traits such as resistance to parasitoids and entomopathogens as well as fitness. This study explores the presence and impact of the facultative symbiont, Hamiltonella defensa, in a major pest aphid, the green peach aphid Myzus persicae, focusing particularly on its role in aphid parasitoid resistance, an area that has not been previously characterized. RESULTS: We detected Buchnera aphidicola and H. defensa endosymbionts in a population of M. persicae collected from Tehran, Iran. Using antibiotic treatments, we mo..