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The larval stage of the stingless bee  Scaptotrigona depilis  must consume a specific brood cell fungus in order to continue development. Here we show that this fungus is a member of the genus  Zygosaccharomyces  and provides essential steroid precursors to the developing bee. Insect pupation requires ecdysteroid hormones, and as insects cannot synthesize sterols  de novo , they must obtain steroids in their diet. Larval  in vitro  culturing assays demonstrated that consuming ergosterol recapitulates the developmental effects on  S. depilis  as ingestion of  Zygosaccharomyces  sp. cells. Thus, we determined the molecular underpinning of this intimate mutualistic symbiosis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that similar cases of bee- Zygosaccharomyce s symbiosis may exist. This unprecedented case of bee-fungus symbiosis driven by steroid requirement brings new perspectives regarding pollinator-microbiota interaction and preservation.

Stingless Bee Larvae Require Fungal Steroid to Pupate