The Links Between Insect Symbionts and Insecticide Resistance: Causal Relationships and Physiological Tradeoffs

Abstract

A growing number of studies indicate an association between symbiotic microbes and insecticide resistance in a diverse range of insects. However, the prevalence, possible mechanisms, and wider implications of this phenomenon remain unclear. While evidence suggests that in some cases insecticide resistance correlates with changes in the microbial community as a result of tradeoffs between physiological parameters in the host, other work implicates specific microbes as causal agents of resistance. Here, we review relevant literature pertaining to symbiont-associated insecticide resistance and suggest avenues of research that may help shed new light on this important phenomenon.