Aphids are sap-feeding insects that cause yield losses in agricultural crops and are

considered agriculturally important pests. They maintain symbiotic associations with various

microorganisms, including bacteria, which benefit them in different ways, mainly in

metabolism. This association can be used as a pest management tool, but more studies are

needed. Understanding the diversity and organization of bacterial communities in diverse

aphid species is essential as a preliminary step. In the present study, we employed a

metagenomic approach to gain insights into the bacterial microbiome present in the V3-V4

region of the 16S rRNA gene of various aphid species, viz., Rhopalosiphum maidis,

Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, and Sitobion avenae obtained from wheat crops,

and Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae collected from mustard crops.