Bacteria of the genus Erwinia found in the spermatheca of the laurel psyllid Trioza alacris

Psylloidea are economically important insects causing serious damage to plants by direct feeding and/or vectoring bacterial pathogens. Results reported here indicate the presence of extracellular bacteria in the spermatheca of egg-laying Trioza alacris females. One phylotype, sharing 99% identity with the non-phytopathogenic bacterium Erwinia tasmaniensis, was identified regardless of methods applied or insect sampling year and location. This is the first study, achieved by ultrastructural, cultural and 16S rRNA gene-based analysis, of an insect spermatheca microbiota.