# Effects of Different Diets on Gut Microbiota of Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

## TL;DR

This study examines how different diets affect the gut microbiota of Apis cerana bees, finding that natural pollens promote greater microbial diversity compared to substitutes.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into how diet influences gut microbiota diversity and structure in Apis cerana.

## Key findings

- Firmicutes and Proteobacteria are the dominant phyla in the gut microbiota of A. cerana.
- Pollen diets increase gut microbiota diversity compared to pollen substitutes.
- Different diets significantly alter the structure and abundance of core microbial communities.

## Abstract

Pollen is one of the main food sources for honeybees. The honeybee gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining digestive function and host health during long-term coevolution. While the consumption and utilization of pollen have been extensively studied, there is limited information about the effects of pollen on the gut microbiota of Apis cerana. In this study, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to evaluate the effects of four natural pollens (oilseed rape pollen, camellia pollen, lotus pollen and buckwheat pollen) and two pollen substitutes (Diet 1 and Diet 2) on the hindgut microbiota of newly emerged A. cerana worker bees, following feeding periods of 5, 10 and 15 days. The results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria are dominant in the gut microbiota of A. cerana. A. cerana workers fed with pollen diets had a higher diversity of gut microbiota than those fed with pollen substitutes. There have been significant differences in the gut microbiota structure and relative abundance of the core microbial community among A. cerana workers supplied with different diets. Our results confirm that gut bacterial communities of A. cerana can be influenced by pollen diets and may play an important role in host adaptation.