Environmental temperature is a strong driver of subspecies competition in the Drosophila microbiome.

Environmental temperature drives subspecies-level competition among Lactiplantibacillus plantarum clades in Drosophila simulans microbiomes, revealing functional diversification.

• Why it matters: Understanding microbiome dynamics at the subspecies level is crucial because intraspecific diversity influences ecological roles and host interactions, yet it remains largely unexplored.
• What they did: The study analyzed three diverged clades of L. plantarum in natural D. simulans populations, tracking their dynamics over 10 years under two temperature conditions, and confirmed functional differences through growth and mono-association assays.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that environmental factors like temperature shape subspecies competition and function, emphasizing that microbiome research must incorporate intra- and interspecific diversity to fully understand microbial roles.