Bacterial and fungal gut microbiota of Neotropical butterflies

We used 16s and ITS amplicon sequencing to characterize bacteria and fungi in (1) the guts of nearly 300 wild-caught Costa Rican butterflies representing over 50 species, and (2) butterfly foods (wild fruits, wild nectars, and baits used to trap frugivorous butterflies). Gut communities were distinct from food communities, suggesting that the gut environment acts as a filter on potential microbial colonists. Host species explained 25-30% of variation in microbial communities while host diet explained 4%, suggesting that non-dietary aspects of host biology play a large role in structuring the butterfly gut flora. Much of the variation between species correlated with host phylogeny.