Intestinal microbiome changes of Ulomoides dermestoides (Chevrolat, 1878) fed with a film based on thermoplastic cassava starch and polylactic acid

Abstract Degradation of polymers by insects is investigated because these materials are source of pollution. The objective of this study was to determine changes in the intestinal microbiome of Coleoptera Ulomoides dermestoides subjected to three polymeric diets based on oats (1), thermoplastic cassava starch (TPS) (2), and an extruded matrix (3) composed of TPS and polylactic acid (PLA). Insects were identified by sequencing of CO1, while gut microflora from insects was identified using DGGE and DNA sequencing. The intestinal microbiota of insects fed diet 1 was composed by Enterobacter sp., Enterococcus durans , Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia sp., and Pantoea vagans , diet 2 by Bacillus maritimus , Enterobacter sp. non‐culturable, Enterococcus alcedines , Lactobacillus oeni , Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia sp., while diet 3 by Enterobacter sp., Enterococcus aquimarinus , Enterococcus casseliflavus , Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia sp., and Lactobacillus oligofermentans indicating that the mixture of renewable sources present in the polymer such as TPS/PLA has a higher rate of degradation and assimilation and more diversity in the intestinal microbiome of insects than in the monopolymeric diets such as 1 and 2, and it was evidenced that diet changes the microbiome of the digestive tract of U. dermestoides which can be used during biodegradation of polymers.