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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Commodity Protection and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #68154
Title: INFECTIVITY OF ANAGRAPHA FALCIFERA MULTIPLY EMBEDDED NUCLEAR POLYHEDROSIS VIRUS TO AMYELOIS TRANSITELLA (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE)

Author
item Cardenas, Freddie
item Vail, Patrick
item Hoffmann, Darlene
item Tebbets, John
item SCHREIBER, FRED - CALIF STATE UNIV, FRESNO

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The nuclear polyhedrosis virus isolated from the celery looper was found to infect the navel orangeworm. It is a serious pest of almonds and walnuts both before and after harvest. Testing demonstrated that the navel orangeworm was moderately susceptible to the virus. This is the first baculovirus shown to be infectious to the insect. Many of the major tissues or organs are infected. The virus may have potential as a microbial pesticide and could be integrated into current production and postharvest integrated pest management systems.

Technical Abstract: A multiply embedded nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) was recently isolated from the celery looper, Anagrapha falcifera (Speyer). This virus has a relatively broad host range in the order Lepidoptera. Preliminary tests indicated that AfMNPV was infectious to the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker) which is not known as being a host of baculoviruses. A lab colony of A. transitella was used to perform a series of tests to establish the pathogenicity of AfMNPV to A. transitella. AfMNPV was moderately infectious to A. transitella with a LC50 of 36 PIB/mm2 of diet surface. Histopathology showed that the polyhedral inclusion bodies were concentrated in the midgut, but were also found in the hypodermis, fat body, and tracheal matrix. Malpighian tubules and ganglia also showed evidence of infection. The virus did not cause any damaging effects to the survivors of a sublethal dose (LC50).