Author
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Shapiro, Martin |
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Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2002 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The use of insect viruses to control agriculturally important pests is an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides. Unfortunately, these "friendly microbes" are slow-acting and much crop damage is done before the insects die. It has been known for a long time that sodium within the insect can be targeted by such chemical insecticides as DDT and pyrethroids sand recent research has shown that insect-specific scorpion toxins also target sodium. My research centered on determining whether chemicals that inhibit sodium could increase the "killing power" of a virus specific to the gypsy moth. In this study, it was shown that many of these chemicals not only reduced that amount of virus needed to kill an insect, but also reduced the amount of time it took for an insect to die. These tests will lead to more detailed studies on how these chemicals affect the insect or virus. In addition, these chemicals or future chemicals of this type could dbe used by insect control specialists in combination with insect viruses t be more effectively control insect pest populations. Technical Abstract: Nine of the 20 chemicals tested acted as viral enhancers (abietc acid, amiloride, bendroflumethiazide, bumetanide, cimetidine, ethacrynic acid, hydrochlorothiazide, loperamide, ouabain) for the gypsy moth nucleopolyhedrovirus LdMNPV. Seven of the nine chemicals (abietic acid, bendroflumethiazide, cimetidine, ethacrynic acid, hydrochlorothiazide, loperamide, ouabain) decreased LC50s by five fold; one chemical (bumetanide) decreased the LC50 by nine-fold; and one chemical (amiloride) decreased the LC50 by 25-fold. In terms of speed of kill, LT50s were reduced by abeitic acid, amiloride, bumetanide, ethacrynic acid, hydrochlorothiaide, and lopermide. |
