Diversity and geographic variation of endosymbiotic bacteria in natural populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, in China

l This study firstly investigated species diversity and geographic variation of bacterial symbionts of the pea aphid in China. l Among eight known endosymbionts, five (Buchnera, Serratia, Hamiltonella, Regiella, and Rickettsia) were detected, with a special geographical distribution. l The bacterial communities of Chinese populations of the pea aphid were dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and mainly influenced by environmental factors. l The results can guide the development of potential biocontrol techniques against this aphid.