Beetles are ubiquitous cave invertebrates worldwide that adapted to scarce subterranean resources when they colonized caves. Here, we investigated the potential role of gut microbiota in the adaptation of beetles to caves from different climatic regions of the Carpathians. The beetles' microbiota was host-specific, reflecting phylogenetic and nutritional adaptation. The microbial community structure further resolved conspecific beetles by caves suggesting microbiota-host coevolution and influences by local environmental factors. The detritivore species hosted a variety of bacteria known to decompose and ferment organic matter, suggesting turnover and host cooperative digestion of the sedimentary microbiota and allochthonous-derived nutrients. The cave Carabidae, with strong mandibula, adapted to predation and scavenging of animal and plant remains, had distinct microbiota dominated by symbiotic lineages Spiroplasma or Wolbachia. All beetles had relatively high levels of fermentative Carnobacterium and Vagococcus involved in lipid accumulation and a reduction of metabolic activity, and both features characterize adaptation to caves.

Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831 USA

Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana CENIEH Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3 Burgos 09002 Spain

Cluj Napoca Department Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology Clinicilor 5 Cluj Napoca 400006 Romania

Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology Institute of Hydrobiology Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic České Budějovice 370 05 Czech Republic

Department of Geospeleology and Paleontology Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology 13 Septembrie 13 Bucharest 050711 Romania

Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation subsidiary National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000 Donath 67 Cluj Napoca 400293 Romania

Romanian Institute of Science and Technology 5 Fulicea 3 Cluj Napoca 400022 Romania

Zoological Museum Babeș Bolyai University Clinicilor 5 Cluj Napoca 400006 Romania

bioRxiv. 2023 May 12:2023.05.12.540564. doi: 10.1101/2023.05.12.540564. PubMed

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