Microbe-free feast: beetle larvae increase their consumption when eating leaves without epiphytic microbes

What is it about?

When insects eat leaves, they also take in tiny microbes that live on and inside the leaves. One group of these microbes, called epiphytes, lives on the surface of the leaves and is the first to interact with the insects. In this study, we looked at how removing all the surface microbes from Datura inoxia leaves affected a leaf-eating insect called Lema daturaphila. We found that removing these microbes had different effects depending on the time of year. In December, insect larvae survived better without the microbes, but in February there was no clear difference. We also found that larvae without access to these microbes ate more but grew less efficiently. Interestingly, insects that developed in December were smaller and slower-growing, but ended up as heavier adults than those in February. Overall, our results suggest that these leaf-surface microbes do not harm the insect and may even help in some situations.

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