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Methanogenesis in the Digestive Tracts of Insects and Other Arthropods

  • Living reference work entry
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Biogenesis of Hydrocarbons

Part of the book series: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ((HHLM))

Abstract

Termites, cockroaches, and scarab beetle larvae are the only insects known to emit methane, but they do so in impressive amounts. Methanogenesis occurs in the enlarged hindgut compartment and is fueled by hydrogen and reduced one-carbon compounds formed during symbiotic digestion of plant fiber and humus. The methanogens either colonize the hindgut wall or are associated with symbiotic protists. They comprise only a relatively small number of lineages from four methanogenic orders that are restricted to the intestinal tract of insects and millipedes. The host specificity of most lineages and the metabolic properties of the few isolates available to date indicate that they are well adapted to the microenvironment of their intestinal habitats. Methanogenesis is generally expected to stimulate symbiotic digestion, but benefits for the host are not well documented. Although the methane emissions of termites are mitigated by the methanotrophic activity of their mounds and the surrounding soil, their enormous biomass in the tropics makes them a significant natural source of atmospheric methane at the global scale.

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  1. Research Group Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany

    Andreas Brune

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  1. Andreas Brune
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  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, HB Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Alfons J.M. Stams

  2. Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Diana Sousa

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Brune, A. (2018). Methanogenesis in the Digestive Tracts of Insects and Other Arthropods. In: Stams, A., Sousa, D. (eds) Biogenesis of Hydrocarbons. Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53114-4_13-1

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