Microbes manipulate fly behavior for their own sake
Insect control is of vital importance for aspects of both agriculture and human health. There are several approaches to address this problem, relying on different strategies such as pesticides and insect genetic control (see other articles in this series). Each of these strategies, though, does have both advantages and disadvantages.
Another potential approach is utilizing microbes to control insects. In a recent study (Keesey et al., 2017) from the laboratory of Bill Hansson at the Max Planck institute for Chemical ecology, Jena, Germany discovered that microbes (Serratia marcescens) can increase their spread by changing how flies communicate with each other.
The authors noticed a change in behavior wherein flies are more attracted to feces from other infected flies rather than that from healthy flies. This behavior led to more healthy flies becoming infected and thus furthering the spread of the microbes. The authors investigated the reason for this behavior and found that infected flies exude an increased amount of fly aroma and pheromones, which attracts more flies. Interestingly, although the infected flies attracted more males, they mated less and therefore produced fewer eggs.
This particular behavior could be exploited by using these chemicals as a lure to attract flies away from crops, or to bait traps. These pathogenic bacteria could also be employed to reduce fly populations by directly killing flies and reducing the amount of eggs laid and thus diminishing the next generation of flies.
Citation: Keesey, I. W. et al. (2017) ‘Pathogenic bacteria enhance dispersal through alteration of Drosophila social communication’, Nature Communications. Springer US, 8(1), p. 265. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00334-9.
Another potential approach is utilizing microbes to control insects. In a recent study (Keesey et al., 2017) from the laboratory of Bill Hansson at the Max Planck institute for Chemical ecology, Jena, Germany discovered that microbes (Serratia marcescens) can increase their spread by changing how flies communicate with each other.
The authors noticed a change in behavior wherein flies are more attracted to feces from other infected flies rather than that from healthy flies. This behavior led to more healthy flies becoming infected and thus furthering the spread of the microbes. The authors investigated the reason for this behavior and found that infected flies exude an increased amount of fly aroma and pheromones, which attracts more flies. Interestingly, although the infected flies attracted more males, they mated less and therefore produced fewer eggs.
This particular behavior could be exploited by using these chemicals as a lure to attract flies away from crops, or to bait traps. These pathogenic bacteria could also be employed to reduce fly populations by directly killing flies and reducing the amount of eggs laid and thus diminishing the next generation of flies.
Citation: Keesey, I. W. et al. (2017) ‘Pathogenic bacteria enhance dispersal through alteration of Drosophila social communication’, Nature Communications. Springer US, 8(1), p. 265. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00334-9.