Influence of Host Sex on Mycobiome Structure in Porcellio laevis Using Metabarcoding Analysis

Terrestrial isopods such as Porcellio laevis play a critical role in nutrient cycling and serve as habitats for diverse microbial communities. Although bacterial diversity in isopods has been widely studied, research on fungal diversity remains limited. In the present study, we examined the mycobiome of P. laevis to investigate sex-specific differences in the fungal composition using a metabarcoding approach. The results revealed significant differences in fungal community composition between sexes, despite no variation in alpha diversity. Females were enriched with fungi, such as Aspergillus and Fusarium, which are commonly found in leaf litter, whereas males showed higher proportions of Stereum and Penicillium, which are associated with wood decay. These findings are consistent with those of previous studies on other arthropods, thus emphasizing the influence of host sex on microbial communities. Our study highlights the ecological dynamics that shape fungal communities in P. laevis and highlights the need for further research to explore the functional roles of sexspecific taxa and their implications for host ecology.