Mating promotes lactic-acid gut bacteria in a gift-giving insect
Chad C Smith, Robert B Srygley, Emma I Dietrich, Ulrich Mueller
The paper shows mating, not nuptial gift consumption, alters gut microbiome structure in Mormon crickets by reducing lactic-acid bacteria, suggesting mating influences host-microbe interactions independently of immunity.
bioRxiv · Aug 26, 2016Microbiology