Diversity and Influencing Factors of Endosymbiotic Bacteria in Tetranychus truncatus Sourced from Major Crops in Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, situated in northwest China, boasts a unique geographical position and a consequent variety of environmental characteristics. <i>T. truncatus</i> is prevalent throughout this region as the primary pest affecting various crops. In this study, we analyzed the microbial community structures of endosymbiotic bacteria in <i>T. truncatus</i> collected from 17 regions and three host plants in Xinjiang using 16S rRNA sequencing. Through composition analysis of the endosymbiotic bacteria in <i>T. truncatus</i> from Xinjiang, it was found that the dominant bacterial phyla were Pseudomonadota and Bacillota. At the genus level, in addition to <i>Wolbachia</i>, <i>Cardinium</i>, and <i>Spiroplasma</i> (common symbiotic bacteria in <i>T. truncatus</i>), the infection rate of <i>Rickettsia</i> in <i>T. truncatus</i> in Xinjiang was found to be 92.8%. The diversity of the endosymbiotic bacteria community in <i>T. truncatus</i> is shaped by both host plant species and geographical region. Specifically, the endosymbiotic bacterial diversity in <i>T. truncatus</i> populations on corn was significantly higher than that observed in populations on cotton and soybean (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, we discovered the diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria in <i>T. truncatus</i> was significantly higher in southern Xinjiang than in northern Xinjiang (<i>p</i> < 0.05).