Metagenomics Insight into Plant-ant-fungi Mycobiome Using Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith F., 1857) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Crawled on Solanum melongena (L.)

Purpose: Ants are commonly observed crawling on crop plants in Sri Lanka, where fungal diseases are frequently reported. This pilot study aimed to identify plant-ant-fungi associations on Solanum melongena (L., 1753) and to determine whether Anoplolepis gracilipes workers carry the inoculated plant pathogenic fungus, Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon Maubl, in their gut contents.
Research Method: Worker ants observed on S. melongena plants at three selected localities in the Gampaha District were identified, and their frequency of occurrence was recorded. A. gracilipes workers, the ant species with the highest frequency of occurrence in the field, was collected from the same localities. In each trial, 200 workers were starved for 48 hours, and then allowed to crawl on brinjal plants inoculated with L. theobromae. Genomic fungal DNA was extracted from pooled heads and digestive tracts, followed by metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.
Findings and Values: The inoculated plant-pathogenic fungus L. theobromae was detected in the gut contents of A. gracilipes workers. Metagenomic analysis revealed a diverse gut mycobiome comprising 78 fungal species, including plant pathogens, endophytes, epiphytes, and insect gut symbionts. These findings suggest the potential ingestion and transport of plant-pathogenic fungi by A. gracilipes, conclusive evidence requires further research.