Infection of Termites by Spodoptera littoralis Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

Abstract

A nuclear polyhedrosis virus isolated from the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis, was found to infect termite castes of Kalotermes flavicollis. Laboratory studies indicated that no specific trend toward mortality responses among the different individuals of termites was noted. All test castes of termites, young, middle-sized, old and reproductive nymphs, and soldiers, were quite equal in their response to the virus infection, regardless of whether the virus concentration was high or low; a concentration of 6.4 × 108 polyhedra/ml, killed only 64% of the treated individuals, while the dosage of 6.4 × 107 polyhedra/ml produced over 90% mortality. Also, the same trend of response was recorded with the survivors which received challenge doses of NPV suspension each 9 or 10 days. On the other hand, these results revealed that if the NPV is used to control termites, periodic applications would be more efficacious than one treatment. Virus symptoms were recorded in all affected insects.