Covering: through 2014 Many organisms team up with microbes for defense against predators,
parasites, parasitoids, or pathogens. Here we review the described protective symbioses …

Symbiotic associations between different organisms are of great importance for evolutionary
and ecological processes [1–4]. Bacteria are particularly valuable symbiotic partners owing …

Beewolf digger wasps cultivate specific symbiotic bacteria (Streptomyces spp.) that are
incorporated into the larval cocoon for protection against pathogens. We identified the molecular …

Mutualistic microorganisms are well known to play a key role in providing nutrients for successful
growth and reproduction in many insects. Several recent studies indicate that they can …

Across animals and plants, numerous metabolic and defensive adaptations are a direct
consequence of symbiotic associations with beneficial microbes. Explaining how these …

Pectin, an integral component of the plant cell wall, is a recalcitrant substrate against
enzymatic challenges by most animals. In characterizing the source of a leaf beetle's (Cassida …

Streptomyces bacteria are ubiquitous in soil, conferring the characteristic earthy smell, and
they have an important ecological role in the turnover of organic material. More recently, a …

The insect’s microbiota is well acknowledged as a “hidden” player influencing essential
insect traits. The gut microbiome of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) has been shown to be …

Nutritional symbionts play a major role in the ecology and evolution of insects. The recent
accumulation of knowledge on the identity, function, genomics, and phylogenetic relationships …

In all stages of their life cycle, insects are threatened by a multitude of predators, parasites,
parasitoids and pathogens. The lifestyles and feeding ecologies of some hymenopteran taxa …