• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

The College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Biology

  • Home
  • About
    • Message from the Chair
    • Faculty Directory
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Offices & Centers
    • Outreach
    • History
    • Job Openings
  • Undergraduate
    • Biology
    • Biotechnology
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Life Sciences
    • Research & Teaching Opportunities
    • Honors Program
    • Advising
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Student Experience
    • Graduate & Professional Program Preparation
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
    • Microbiology Ph.D.
    • Biotechnology M.S.
    • Multidisciplinary & Affiliated Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Advising
    • Financial Support
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Career Preparation
    • About Bloomington
  • Research
    • Research Faculty
    • Associated Research Faculty
    • Research Strengths
    • Centers, Instrumentation, & Resources
    • Faculty Awards
  • News & Events
    • Seminars
    • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
    • Named Lectures
    • Newsletters
    • Annual Microbiology Retreat
    • News
    • Events
  • Alumni & Giving
  • [Grad Recruits 2021]
    • Schedules
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
    • Microbiology
    • Facilities and Resources
    • Why Bloomington?
    • Useful Contacts
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
  • Donate
  • Seminars
  • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
  • Named Lectures
  • Newsletters
  • Annual Microbiology Retreat
  • News
  • Events
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • News
  • 2018 News
  • Beetle's genital worms found to benefit the beetle and its young

Beetle's genital worms found to benefit the beetle and its young

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

A taurus scarab (dung beetle), top, and a Diplogastrellus nematode, bottom.
Top: Taurus scarab (dung beetle). Bottom: Diplogastrellus nematode. Beetle photo by Eduardo Zattara; nematode photo by Erik Ragsdale

Cris Ledón-Rettig, an assistant research scientist in the IU Department of Biology who studies dung beetles, found that the beetles (Onthophagus taurus) carry tiny worms—specifically, one particular species of nematode (Diplogastrellus monhysteroides)—in their genitalia.

Nematodes' associations with insects often have negative impacts on the insects. Erik Ragsdale, an assistant professor in the department who studies nematodes, suggested that the worms could also be harmless hitchhikers.

Cris Ledón-Rettig.

I asked if they could be beneficial,” Ledón-Rettig says. “He said that it was certainly a possibility given how common insect-associated nematodes were. There just wasn’t functional evidence for it.

So Ledón-Rettig found some evidence. Through her research, she discovered that when the nematodes (which are transgenerationally inherited and sexually transmitted by the dung beetles) are around, beetle larvae grow faster and eventually transform into bigger adults. The nematodes alter the bacterial and fungal communities in ways that benefit their beetle hosts.

Ledón-Rettig’s work illustrates that nongenetic inheritance can include intermediately sized organisms that live and proliferate in close association with, and in certain cases enhance, the development of their hosts’ offspring. Learning how the nematodes engineer the microbiome may provide insight into ways to influence human health.

Learn more: Ledón-Rettig's discovery of nematodes benefitting dung beetles was highlighted in The Atlantic. A paper about her work has been published in PNAS.

Listen as Cris Ledón-Rettig discusses her research on NPR's Science Friday.

Listen to the episode

  • Faculty + Staff Intranet

Department of Biology social media channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Department of Biology

The College of Arts & Sciences

Indiana University

Copyright © 2021 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice

  • About
    • Message from the Chair
    • Faculty Directory
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Offices & Centers
    • Outreach
      • K-12 Educators
        • Virtual Biology Summer Institute
      • K-12 Students
        • Holland Summer Science Programs
          • Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program in Biology (SEP)
          • Jim Holland Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
          • Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE)
      • Lessons
      • Outreach Activities
      • Outreach Coordinators
    • History
      • Faculty Emeriti
      • Historical Materials
    • Job Openings
  • Undergraduate
    • Biology
      • Biology Learning Goals
      • Biology B.S.
        • Areas of Concentration
      • Biology B.A.
      • B.S. for Pre-Professional Students
      • B.S. Biology/M.S. Secondary Education
      • Biology Minor
    • Biotechnology
      • Program Design & Resources
      • Biotechnology B.S.
      • Biotechnology B.A.
      • Biotechnology B.S./M.S.
      • Biotechnology Minor
    • Microbiology
      • Microbiology B.S.
      • Microbiology B.A.
    • Molecular Life Sciences
    • Research & Teaching Opportunities
      • Research Programs
      • Biology X490 Independent Study
      • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
    • Honors Program
    • Advising
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Student Experience
    • Graduate & Professional Program Preparation
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
      • Curriculum
      • EEB Faculty
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
      • Curriculum
      • GCDB Faculty
    • Microbiology Ph.D.
      • Curriculum
      • Microbiology Faculty
    • Biotechnology M.S.
      • Curriculum
      • Biotechnology Faculty
    • Multidisciplinary & Affiliated Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Advising
    • Financial Support
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Career Preparation
    • About Bloomington
  • Research
    • Research Faculty
    • Associated Research Faculty
    • Research Strengths
      • Behavior
      • Chromatin, Chromosomes, and Genome Integrity
      • Developmental Mechanisms and Regulation in Eukaryotic Systems
      • Ecology
      • Eukaryotic Cell Biology, Cytoskeleton, and Signaling
      • Evolution
      • Genomics and Bioinformatics
      • Microbial Cell Biology and Environmental Responses
      • Microbial Interactions and Pathogenesis
      • Plant Molecular Biology
      • Virology
    • Centers, Instrumentation, & Resources
      • Drosophila Research Resources
    • Faculty Awards
  • News & Events
    • Seminars
    • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
      • Microphiles
    • Named Lectures
      • Distinguished Alumni Award Lecture
      • James P. Holland Lecture Series
      • Carlos O. Miller Lecture Series
      • Hermann J. Muller Award Lecture
      • Norman R. Pace Lecture Series
      • Tracy M. Sonneborn Lecture Series
      • Joan Wood Lecture
    • Newsletters
      • BioNews: Fall 2020
      • BioNews Archive
    • Annual Microbiology Retreat
      • Micro-lympics
      • Registration
    • News
    • Events
  • Alumni & Giving
  • [Grad Recruits 2021]
    • Schedules
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
    • Microbiology
    • Facilities and Resources
    • Why Bloomington?
    • Useful Contacts
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
      • Biology
        • Biology B.S.
          • Areas of Concentration
        • Biology B.A.
        • Special B.S. for Pre-Professional Students
        • Biology B.S./M.S. Secondary Education
        • Biology Minor
      • Biotechnology
        • Biotechnology B.S.
        • Biotechnology B.A.
        • Biotechnology B.S./M.S.
        • Biotechnology Minor
      • Microbiology
        • Microbiology B.S.
        • Microbiology B.A.
      • Molecular Life Sciences
      • Courses
        • Course Scheduling
        • Biology X490 Independent Study
        • FAQs
      • Advising
      • Research Opportunities
      • Funding Opportunities
      • Teaching Assistants
      • Honors Program
        • Eligibility
        • Honors Courses
        • Honors Thesis
        • How to Apply
      • Internships
    • Graduate
      • COVID-19 resources
      • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
      • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
      • Microbiology Ph.D.
      • Biotechnology M.S.
      • Multidisciplinary and Affiliated Programs
      • Courses
      • Financial Support
      • Awards & Scholarships
      • Teaching Support
      • Dissertation & Thesis Support
      • Services & Outreach
      • Submit News to Biology
      • Facilities & Resources
    • Seminars
    • Ombudsperson
  • Donate

The College of Arts & Sciences