A metagenomic exploration of Wheat and mustard aphids thorugh the 16S rRNA gene of V3-V4 region

Aphids are sap-feeding insects that cause yield losses in agricultural crops and areconsidered agriculturally important pests. They maintain symbiotic associations with variousmicroorganisms, including bacteria, which benefit them in different ways, mainly inmetabolism. This association can be used as a pest management tool, but more studies areneeded. Understanding the diversity and organization of bacterial communities in diverseaphid species is essential as a preliminary step. In the present study, we employed ametagenomic approach to gain insights into the bacterial microbiome present in the V3-V4region of the 16S rRNA gene of various aphid species, viz., Rhopalosiphum maidis,Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, and Sitobion avenae obtained from wheat crops,and Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae collected from mustard crops.