Quantification and Comparative Analysis of Arachnid
Microbiomes via 16S rRNA Sequencing
(Pholcus phalangioides, Argyrodes argyrodes, Nephila
senegalensis)
Publication Date
December 10, 2025
Creator
Abstract
This study presents a first analysis of the microbiome of the haplogyne spider Pholcus phalangioides alongside the characterisation of two ecologically and phylogenetically distinct species of entelegyne spider: Argyrodes argyrodes and Nephila senegalensis. Using 16S rRNA metabarcoding, the study examines the diversity and composition of microbial communities within these spiders, including the identification of endosymbionts, with a primary focus on describing community structure and identifying taxa shared both intraspecifically and interspecifically. Quantitative metabarcoding data from Pholcus phalangioides exemplify the feasibility of sequencing microbes from within this type of as yet unstudied species, which will provide a valuable comparison to the more fully characterised microbiomes of Argyrodes and Nephila.
This research aims to establish a baseline for understanding how microbial associations may vary with spider host ecology. While primarily exploratory, the findings offer foundational insights into the potential ecological and evolutionary roles of host–microbiome interactions in arachnids as a whole. In summary, this study found the microbial communities to vary significantly between individuals and species; Nephila are highly dominated by the bacteria Serratia, which therefore makes their microbiomes less diverse, and Argyrodes individuals, at an intraspecific level, have differing compositions of the endosymbiont Cardinium. Additionally, this study, for the first time, quantified the sequencing reads of Pholcus, which helps to identify successful methodologies for uncharacterised and previously unsequenced organisms.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
MRes
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Life Sciences
eprints ID
82809
UoN Repository URI
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Name
CLIFTON Ellie Mae 20274872 MRes thesis corrections.pdf
Type
Full-text
Description
Examined. MRes thesis with examiners corrections applied.
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1.05 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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