Comparative metagenomic study unveils new insights on bacterial communities in two pine-feeding Ips beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Our study sheds new insights into bacterial associations in pine beetles under the influence of various drivers such as environment, host, and life stages. We documented that lab-breeding considerably influences beetle bacterial community assembly. Furthermore, beetle feeding alters bacteriome at the microhabitat level. Nevertheless, our study revisited pine-feeding bark beetle symbiosis under the influence of different drivers and revealed intriguing insight into bacterial community assembly, facilitating future functional studies.