Martínez-Martínez, S., Rodríguez-Leyva, E., Aranda-Ocampo, S., Santillán-Galicia, M.T., Hernández-López, A., & Guzmán-Franco, A. 2023 Bacteria associated with carminic acid metabolism in the intestinal tract of three predators of Dactylopius . Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata DOI: 10.1111/eea.13394
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Notes: Dactylopius spp. produce carminic acid as part of defence against predation. The average carminic acid concentration varies depending on the species, e.g., for prickly pear cochineal, Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell), and cochineal, Dactylopius coccus Costa (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), it is 3–5 and 19–25%, respectively. Generalist predators such as Laetilia coccidivora Comstock (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and specialist predators such as Leucopis bellula Williston (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) and Hyperaspis trifurcata Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) require detoxification mechanisms, which could be provided by gut bacteria. We determined the diversity of gut-associated cultivable bacteria in these three predators and their ability to metabolize carminic acid.
