METAGENOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE GUT BACTERIOME OF USHERHOPPER, POEKILOCERUS BUFONIUS (KLUG) FROM HADDA, SAUDI ARABIA.

Microbial communities that colonize insect guts contribute positively to the absorption of nutrients, immunity, and the overall health of the host. Recent studies have been tapered towards only economically important arthropods, particularly honeybees. On the other hand, arthropods such as grasshoppers are considered pests because they create havoc leading to economic losses. Grasshoppers are considered phytophagous pests that have a large appetite for plant fibers, and digestion depends largely on the bacterial communities in their guts. This study characterizes the gut microbiome in Usherhopper, Poekilocerus bufonius using metagenomics methods through next generation sequencing (NGS). A total of 59,072,222 bacterial reads were recorded which were classified at the phylum and genus levels. Proteobacteria were the most common at the phylum level whereas Wolbachia was the most dominant genus based on the total reads. The host-microbiome interactions and their perceived influence on the ecosystem are yet to be fully explained, therefore a detailed study is pivotal in order to enforce effective conservation and pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]