Data from: Developmental and ecological benefits of the maternally transmitted microbiota in a dung beetle

To complete their development, diverse animal species rely on the presence of communities of symbiotic microbiota that are vertically transmitted from mother to offspring. In the dung beetle genus Onthophagus, newly hatched larvae acquire maternal gut symbionts by the consumption of a maternal fecal secretion known as the pedestal. Here, we investigate the role of pedestal symbionts in mediating the normal development of Onthophagus gazella. Through the stepwise removal of environmental and maternal sources of microbial inoculation, we find that pedestal microbiota can enhance both overall growth and developmental rate in O. gazella. Further, we find that the beneficial effects of symbionts on developmental outcomes are amplified in the presence of ecologically relevant temperature and desiccation stressors. Collectively, our results suggest that the pedestal may provide an adaptive function by transmitting beneficial microbiota to developing dung beetle larvae and that the importance of microbiota for developmental and fitness outcomes may be context dependent.

多样的动物类群完成发育过程，均依赖从母体垂直传递给子代的共生微生物群群落。在嗡蜣螂属（Onthophagus）中，初孵幼虫通过取食一种被称为基座（pedestal）的母本粪便分泌物，获得母体肠道共生菌。本研究探究了基座共生菌在介导格氏嗡蜣螂（Onthophagus gazella）正常发育中的作用。通过逐步移除环境与母本来源的微生物接种源，我们发现基座共生菌可提升格氏嗡蜣螂的整体生长水平与发育速率。进一步研究显示，在生态相关的温度与干燥胁迫条件下，共生菌对发育结果的有益效应会被增强。综上，我们的研究结果表明，基座可通过向发育中的蜣螂幼虫传递有益共生菌而发挥适应性功能，且微生物群对发育与适合度结果的重要性可能依赖于环境背景。