# Biological Characteristics and Bacterial Community of Invasive Pest Corythucha ciliata (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

## TL;DR

This study explores how the sycamore lace bug adapts to new environments through its biology and symbiotic microbes, offering insights for eco-friendly control methods.

## Contribution

The study reveals the bug's developmental stages, reproductive patterns, and microbial symbionts that contribute to its invasive success.

## Key findings

- Nymphs develop through five instars with accelerated growth in the last two stages.
- Adult females live longer than males and reproduce with a concentrated strategy.
- Shared and divergent microbial communities suggest adaptive functions for different environments.

## Abstract

The sycamore lace bug, an invasive insect originating from North America, threatens urban forests. Its strong ability to adapt to new environments is unclear, which limits effective control. This study compared the bug’s indoor-reared and outdoor-collected populations to explore how its biological characteristics and symbiotic microorganisms help it adapt. We found its young (called nymphs) go through 5 developmental stages, growing faster in the last two stages, adult females live longer than males after 30 days, and each adult pair produces approximately 17 eggs in a concentrated way. Both populations share key microorganisms, but non-key ones differ between indoor and outdoor groups to fit different environments. These biological characteristics and microorganisms may work together to boost the bug’s invasiveness. The study provides basic data on the bug and supports developing eco-friendly control methods (like targeting its key microorganisms), which could aid in protecting urban ecosystems.

The sycamore lace bug Corythucha ciliata (Hemiptera: Tingidae), an invasive North American forest pest, owes its strong dispersal and adaptability to biological characteristics and symbiotic microbes, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study examined its outdoor-collected (LYGO) and indoor-reared (LYGI) populations using morphological observation, biological parameter assessment, and 16S rRNA sequencing. Key findings include: (1) Nymphs develop through five instars, with body size increasing significantly across stages; growth accelerated during 4th and 5th instars, reflecting a pattern of “low-instar accumulation and high-instar acceleration”. (2) Adult survival differed by sex, with females outliving males after 30 days; nymphs develop in 14.81 days, and each adult pair produced an average of 17 eggs, demonstrating a concentrated reproductive strategy; (3) Both populations shared dominant bacterial taxa (including the phyla Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria and the genus Cardinium) but diverged in non-dominant taxa; core microbial functions were conserved, while specific functions (e.g., glutathione S-transferase activity) varied. These results suggest a potential synergy between the insect’s biological characteristics (efficient development, concentrated reproduction) and the adaptive functions of its associated microbes in enhancing its invasiveness. The study supplements its basic biological data and offers a new view of its ecological adaptability.