Comparison between corn leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) endosymbiotic microbiome and soil microbiome diversity under different management and climate

The corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), microbial symbiont and nine soil type microbial diversity, where maize are cultivated were genetically analyzed, along a gradient of maize management systems, that includes three different crop control strategies from three climatic regions. The central point of interest was to assess whether any similarity could be detected between the corn leaf aphid's rapid distribution increase throughout mainland Europe and variation in its endosymbiont microbiome diversity. According to the results, significant positive relationships between some symbiont bacterial species and climate conditions were detected, including increases in the abundances of two secondary (or facultative) symbiont species, Serratia symbiotica and Wolbachia spp. under extreme climate conditions (high and low temperatures), whereas only a low abundance of the obligate primary symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola was observed under these same climate conditions. Less effects of soil types were detected. Our study comprises the first comprehensive analyses about a pest aphid and its associated symbiont fauna in relation to ambient temperature conditions, and as such, we believe may well help in the development of new control strategies.