Culturable microbiota of reared mosquito fauna in Osogbo, Nigeria and their potential biological roles: a molecular insight

OBJECTIVE: Mosquitoes are vectors of deadly, life-threatening diseases worldwide. There is limited information on the interactions between microbes and local mosquito fauna in the Nigerian ecotype and Osun State. This study employed molecular techniques to characterize microorganisms isolated from the internal tissues of adult mosquitoes reared from larvae and pupae collected from various breeding sites in the Osogbo metropolis, Nigeria. Bacteria and yeasts were isolated from immobilized, surface-sterilized, and homogenized mosquitoes. Molecular identification of microbes was based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region for bacteria and yeasts, respectively. The genus Wolbachia was screened with PCR using Wolbachia-specific primers. RESULTS: The adult mosquitoes harboured bacteria, namely Enterobacter bugandensis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus capitis, Enterobacter hormaechei, Pantoea dispersa, Sphingobium yanoikuyae, and Aerococcus urinaeequi. Yeasts identified were Meyerozyma caribbica, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Candida orthopsilosis. The genus Wolbachia was not detected in the mosquitoes. The bacteria and yeast isolates from this study can play important roles in the biology of mosquitoes. Notably, S. yanoikuyae possesses bio-degradative potential, as reported in previous studies. Hence, this underscores the need for further investigation of the role of Sphingobium species in mosquito resistance to insecticides.