Characterization of the Cricket Hindgut Microbiota with Fluorescently Labeled rRNA-Targeted Oligonucleotide Probes

Most cricket hindgut microorganisms (60 to 80%) were detected with a universal fluorescent rRNA-targeted probe and found to be eubacteria. Group-specific probes showed that the hindguts of five different cricket species harbor similar bacterial groups, although in different proportions, and that different diets shifted the structure of the hindgut microbial community. The Bacteroides-Prevotella probe, of the eight eubacterial probes tested, stained the largest percentage of cells in all crickets.