The Mycobiome of The Gut of Willow Wood Borer, Xiphydria Prolongata (Hymenoptera: Xiphydriidae): A Rich Source of Rare Yeasts

A high-throughput amplicon sequencing as a culture-independent approach was used to identify the gut mycobiome of the willow wood borer Xiphydria prolongata. The findings of this study are significant in terms of the insect-fungal interactions and indicate the unexpected richness of the mycobiome and the presence of many rare yeast species in the wood borer gut. A total of 40 fungal genera were found, and among them, only one endophytic fungus, Daldinia (Hypoxylaceae), has been previously reported in Xiphydria. Zygosaccharomyces siamensis is the most prevalent ascomycete species, while Rhodosporidiobolus colostri is the most abundant basidiomycetous yeast in X. prolongata. Some of the species identified here were known as very rare fungi such as Skoua fertilis, Chaetomium nepalense, R. colostri, and Vustinia terrae. This study is also the first report on S. fertilis and V. terrae in the insect gut flora. These funguses most likely aid in the digestion of lignocellulose in the gut of wood borer. Therefore, further research is required to know the source of acquisition and functional role of these yeast and their industrial potential.