Microbial diversity in Alphitobius diaperinus gut under polystyrene and control diets

This repository contains PacBio HiFi 16S rDNA metabarcoding libraries used to profile bacterial communities across various gut sections and larval instars of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, reared on polystyrene compared with a control diet. The study aims to investigate how diet influences microbial composition and to identify bacterial taxa potentially involved in plastic degradation. These data enhance our understanding of insect-associated microbiomes and their potential role in innovative waste management strategies.