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Title: COMPARATIVE PATHOGENICITY OF BACULOVIRUS DERIVED FROM THE SATIN MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA: LYMANTRIIDAE) AND THE GYPSY MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA: LYMANTRIIDAE) AGAINST THE GYPSY MOTH

Author
item SHAPIRO, MARTIN
item Dougherty, Edward

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Since many insect viruses are quite specific in their activities, land use managers would prefer to utilize microbial control agents that can import upon different pest insect species. The gypsy moth NPV (LdNPV) is quite specific to the gypsy moth and a very closely related European species (= the nun moth) and acts slowly against the gypsy moth. The satin moth NPV (SsNPV) was tested against the gypsy moth and was more potent than LdNPV. That is, not only was less virus needed to kill the larvae, but the larvae died sooner. Since Ss is also active against other forest pests, including the Douglas-Fir tussock moth, the satin moth NPV might be attractive to land use managers (such as the Forest Service) who need to control both pest species.

Technical Abstract: The satin moth, Stilpnotia salicis (L.), nuclear polyhedrosis virus (SsNPV) is used in Russia to control the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). We obtained it from Russian scientists in 1983 and conformed its pathogenicity for the gypsy moth. After several passages through gypsy moth larvae, SsNPV was compared to U.S. Forest Service isolate LDP-226 against the gypsy moth. SsNPV appeared to be more active than the gypsy moth NPV (LdNPV), as measured by both LC50s and LT50s. SsNPV was approx. 5-fold more active than LdNPV (i.e., LC50 for SsNPV = 12,400 PIBs per ml; LC50 for LdNPV 74,000 PIBs/ml). The LT50 among LdNPV-infected insects was 11.8 days, while the LT50 among SsNPV-infected insects was 10.0 days.