Bacterial communities associated with soil diplopods

• Published in: Pedobiologia Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 67 - 79
• Main Authors: Byzov, B.A., Chernjakovskaya, T.F., Zenova, G.M., Dobrovolskaya, T.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.1996
• Subjects: Diplopoda; Erwinia; Flavobacterium; Pseudomonas; Streptomyces
• ISSN: 0031-4056
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-4056(24)00333-0

Two species of diplopods, Glomeris connexa C. L. Koch, 1844 and Chromatoiulus rossicus (Tim., 1897), were reared for 3 months on a natural leaf litter at room temperature. The taxonomic composition and dominant structure of bacterial communities associated with the food, gut and fresh excrement were studied using the dilution plate method and scanning electron microscopy. In the litter, bacteria of the Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium and Erwinia genera predominated. Bacteria of the digestive tract were represented by two different communities, those inhabiting the inner surface of the gut wall and the gut content. In the community of the gut wall, bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families predominated for the entire of experimental period and in all the gut parts. In the community of the gut content, the dominant microbes changed during the rearing period, but then their composition remained constant with, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas and coryneform bacteria predominating. The bacterial communities of the fresh excrement differed from those of the litter, reflecting such processes as a partial lysis, propagation and transit passage of bacteria through the gut of the diplopods.