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Leaf-shelters facilitate the colonization of arthropods and enhance microbial diversity on plants
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  • Danilo Ferreira Borges dos Santos,
  • Jacob Herschberger,
  • Bijay Subedi,
  • Victoria Pocius,
  • Wesley Neely,
  • Gui Becker,
  • Gustavo Romero,
  • Monica Kersch-Becker
Danilo Ferreira Borges dos Santos
Penn State

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Jacob Herschberger
University of Florida
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Bijay Subedi
Penn State
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Victoria Pocius
Penn State
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Wesley Neely
Texas State University
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Gui Becker
Penn State University
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Gustavo Romero
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
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Monica Kersch-Becker
Penn State University
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Abstract

Shelter-building insects are important ecosystem engineers, playing critical roles in structuring arthropod communities. Nonetheless, the influence of leaf shelters and arthropods on plant-associated microbiota remains largely unexplored. Arthropods that visit or inhabit plants can contribute to the leaf microbial community, resulting in significant changes in plant-microbe interactions. By artificially constructing leaf shelters, we provide evidence that shelter-building insects influence not only the arthropod community structure but also impact the phyllosphere microbiota. Leaf shelters exhibited higher abundance and richness of arthropods, leading to changes in the associated arthropod community composition. These shelters also altered the composition and community structure of phyllosphere microbiota, promoting greater richness and diversity of bacteria at the phyllosphere. In leaf shelters, microbial diversity increased with the richness and diversity of herbivores. These findings demonstrate the critical role of leaf shelters in structuring arthropod communities by facilitating colonization and influencing microbial communities through altered microhabitats and community interactions.
19 Feb 2024Submitted to Ecology Letters
21 Mar 2024Submission Checks Completed
21 Mar 2024Assigned to Editor
25 Apr 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 May 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 May 20241st Revision Received
11 Jun 2024Submission Checks Completed
11 Jun 2024Assigned to Editor
11 Jun 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
27 Jun 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
03 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
03 Jul 20242nd Revision Received
04 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Jul 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
31 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 Jul 20243rd Revision Received
01 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
01 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
03 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Accept