A bacterial colony was isolated from the gut of the bean bug, Riptortus clavatus. From morphological and biochemical tests, the bacterial isolate showed the highest similarity to Staphylococcus succinus. DNA sequence of 16S rRNA gene of the bacterium supported the identification. Oral administration of penicillin G to adults of R. clavatus gave a dose-dependent mortality of adults of R. clavatus to adults along with significant decrease of the bacterial population in the gut. Similarly, three metabolites (benzylideneacetone, proline-tyrosine, and acetylated phenylalanine-glycine-valine) derived from an entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophila, also inhibited growth of the gut bacterial population and gave significant mortalities to R. clavatus. These results suggest that a gut bacterial population classified as Staphylococcus sp. is required for survival of R. clavatus and that the three bacterial metabolites had toxic effects on the bugs due to their antibacterial properties.

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