Interactions Among Symbionts of Oropsylla spp. (Siphonoptera: Ceratophyllidae)

We used high-throughput DNA sequencing to explore bacterial communities of three species of Oropyslla fleas [Oropsylla hirsuta (Baker), Oropsylla montana (Baker), and Oropsylla tuberculata cynomuris (Jellison)] and detected seven bacterial lineages related to known insect symbionts. No significant co-occurrence patterns were detected among bacterial lineages, but relative abundance data suggest that the two most common lineages (Bartonella and Rickettsiales) interact negatively. Furthermore, presence of these two lineages significantly reduced bacterial diversity within fleas.