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.