The co-occurrence and diversity of endophytic microorganisms in Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Oulema melanopus (a pest insect)

 

Student/in: Lena Ewald, BSc
Termin: 30.10.2024, 15.00 Uhr
Ort: Seminarraum Biologie (Foyer)

1. Prüfer/in: Nadine Präg, PhD
2. Prüfer/in: Thomas Klammsteiner, PhD
Vorsitzende/r: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Paul Illmer

 

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Abstract

Oulema melanopus, also known as cereal leaf beetle, is a widespread pest of various cereals, being the larval stage more damaging than the adult beetle. Larval feeding on cereal leaves causes major agricultural damage. The microbiota of cereal leaf beetle has so far only been roughly described, although previous studies showed that the microbiota of the cereal leaf beetle affects the plant.

Thus, the aim of this master thesis is to describe the microbiota of cereal leaf larvae and to detect if and to what extent a microbial transfer occurs from the larvae to the plants. Therefore, larvae were collected on open ground as well as on Hordeum vulgare leaves with and without eating damages. Additionally, Hordeum vulgare plants are inoculated with larvae in greenhouse experiments and in all cases possible effects were investigated by using both cultivation and amplicon sequencing analysis.