Intracellular symbiosis and vitamin requirements of two insects, Lasioderma serricorne and Sitodrepa panicea

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Abstract
Normal larvae of two beetles, Lasioderma serricorne and Sitodrepa panicea, and larvae freed from their intracellular symbionts have been grown on various diets. On white flour, a food deficient in vitamins of the B group, normal larvae grow very much better than sterilized larvae, while no such difference in the growth rate occurs on a diet rich in vitamins of the B group, e.g. wholemeal flour plus yeast. On an artificial diet which contains the vitamins of the B complex in pure substances, the normal Lasioderma larva grows well or fairly well in the absence of either thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pyridoxin or pantothenic acid, and the normal Sitodrepa larva in the absence of any of these vitamins except thiamin. The sterilized larvae of both species fail to grow in the absence of any of these five vitamins. It is concluded that the intracellular symbionts of Lasioderma and Sitodrepa supply vitamins of the B group.

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