Abstract
Microorganisms are essential associates for virtually all arthropod
species. Insect-associated microbes can improve the fitness of their
host, be pathogens, or have no known role. During the past decade, we
have increased our collective knowledge of the composition of
insect-associated microbes along with the range of roles that these
symbionts perform. Increases in knowledge are partly due to the
continued advancements in genomic sequencing technologies. This
understanding of individual microbe contributions and advancements in
sequencing have allowed for a shift towards examining the complexity of
microbial communities, as well as how these communities vary with
different factors (e.g., microbe and/or host genetics, environment). We
provide an overview of arthropod-symbiont interactions, the variety of
symbiont functionalities, and the evolutionary ecology of these
relationships. Additionally, we explored the influence of the
environment on the modulation of insect-microbe interactions, the
projected impacts of climate change, and the subsequent consequences on
these ecological interactions. Lastly, we discuss some potential avenues
for the future of arthropod-microbe interactions that include the
modification of existing microbial symbionts as well as the construction
of synthetic microbial communities. Our aim was to condense the current
knowledge on insect-associated microbes and microbial communities while
discussing research gaps and challenges for possible future directions.