Archived
This content is available here for research, reference, and/or recordkeeping.
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8083-2884
Date Available
8-9-2028
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Plant and Soil Sciences
Faculty
Kendall Corbin
Arthur Hunt
Abstract
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a globally invasive, polyphagous agricultural pest whose ability to thrive across diverse environments has underscored the need to better understand its gut microbiome and the environmental factors that shape it. To address this need, this thesis characterizes the fall armyworm gut microbiome using complementary culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches. Chapter 2 identifies the V3-V4 hypervariable region as the most efficient and informative target for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the fall armyworm gut microbiome. Chapter 3 provides evidence that seasonal conditions are a primary driver of gut microbial community structure and diversity compared to host plant genotype. Chapter 4 establishes a culture-dependent bacterial isolate library and identifies bacteria that exhibit antimicrobial activity and plant biomass-degrading potential. Finally, whole-genome sequencing of a functionally promising Chryseobacterium culicis_A isolate establishes a genomic resource to support future investigation of its biosynthetic and enzymatic potential. Collectively, this work demonstrates that integrating culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of fall armyworm gut microbiome ecology while establishing a foundation for future research related to pest management and biotechnological applications of gut-derived bacterial isolates.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.422
Archival?
Archival
1st Funding Information
National Science Foundation
Collaborative Research: Ideas Lab: The Role of Extracellular RNA in Intercellular and Interkingdom Communication
2243533
Recommended Citation
Lefevers, Hanna M., "AN INTEGRATIVE STUDY OF THE SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (FALL ARMYWORM) GUT MICROBIOME" (2026). University of Kentucky Master's Theses. 662.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_theses/662
Phyllosphere_SynCom_Review.pdf (2255 kB)
Pseudomonas_fulva_MTT5_Genome.pdf (1186 kB)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Biotechnology Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons
