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About the Authors:
Steven M. Valles
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
David H. Oi
Affiliation: Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
Fahong Yu
Affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
Xin-Xing Tan
Affiliation: SeqWright, Houston, Texas, United States of America
Eileen A. Buss
Affiliation: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
Introduction
Metagenomic analysis [1] coupled with new generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the way in which entomologists can search for potential pathogens for use as insect biological control agents. Historically, discovery of pathogens of insects relied upon arduous explorations for unhealthy or dying insects followed by the identification and isolation of the microbe(s) responsible; a process that often took years to complete [2], [3]. Metagenomic analysis not only reduces discovery time to days, but it is also capable of identifying numerous pathogenic organisms simultaneously. Indeed, metagenomic analysis may even be utilized to examine insects retrospectively from archived specimens. A number of sequencing projects of environmental samples of insects have demonstrated successful discovery of viruses that show promise as insect control agents [4], [5], [6], [7], [8].
Nylanderia pubens (Forel), previously Paratrechina pubens [9], is an invasive ant species that in recent years has developed into a serious pest problem in the Caribbean and United States [10], [11]. A rapidly expanding range, explosive localized population growth, and control difficulties have elevated this ant to pest status. Professional entomologists and the pest control industry in the United States are urgently trying to understand its biology and develop effective control methods [12], [13], [14]. Efforts have primarily focused on pursuing development of insecticide-based control strategies [15], as well as the effort presented here to identify self-sustaining, biological control agents specific to N. pubens. While viruses can be important biological control agents against pest insect populations [16], none are known to infect N. pubens. Therefore, the objective of this research was to employ a metagenomics approach coupled with 454-based sequencing technology to examine the