Bacterial community associated with Tetranychus evansi spider mites. insect metagenome

Hybrid breakdown between populations can be caused by genetic mechanisms, but also by microbes such as gut or endosymbiotic bacteria. We screened the Tetranychus evansi spider mite populations Algarrobo-1 and Viçosa-1, between which we observed hybrid breakdown, for bacterial infections with Illumina MiSeq sequencing, using universal bacterial 16s primers. We did not detect differences in the bacterial community between the two spider mite populations that could be associated with reproductive incompatibility or hybrid breakdown, suggesting that hybrid breakdown between these populations is not caused by bacterial symbionts, but by other (e.g. genetic) causes.