Abstract
Fungal epizootics occurred in abundantOrgyia vetusta(western tussock moth; Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) populations onLupinus arboreusbushes growing on the Pacific coast north of San Francisco, California. The causative pathogen was isolated and identified asEntomophaga aulicae,Group II, based on RFLPs using rDNA and PCR-amplified rDNA products. Inability of this fungus to infect the lymantriidLymantria dispar(gypsy moth) confirmed its distinction fromEntomophaga maimaiga,the only other member of this species complex which predominantly infects lymantriids. Later instar wandering byO. vetustain outbreak populations and close proximity of larvae in dense populations are characteristics most probably promoting development ofE. aulicaeepizootics; these life history patterns are also typical ofLymantria disparpopulations experiencing epizootics ofE. maimaiga.
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