The effect of the granulovirus (PapyGV) on larval mortality and feeding behaviour of the Pandemis leafroller, Pandemis pyrusana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract

An indigenous betabaculovirus (PapyGV) of the Pandemis leafroller, Pandemis pyrusana (Kearfott), was studied in the laboratory and greenhouse to determine how the virus affected leafroller mortality and foliar damage. Probability of mortality increased with virus concentration as observed after 7 and 10 days of feeding on virus treated diet in neonates and second instar larvae. LC50 estimates for neonates at 7 and 10 days was 2743 and 389 occlusion bodies (OBs)/mm2. For second instars, LC50 was 139,487 and 813 OBs/mm2 at 7 and 10 days. There was no biologically significant mortality response to increasing virus concentrations by fourth instar larvae; however, when fourth instar larvae were infected with virus on diet and then fed apple leaves, the leaf area consumed declined up to 50% with higher virus concentrations. In a greenhouse study, neonate larvae that fed on seedlings treated with water showed >90% survival and 80% pupation rate of larvae after being transferred to diet. In contrast, larvae that fed on apple seedlings sprayed with 3×106 OBs/ml showed poor survival when transferred to diet after acquiring the virus and failed to reach the pupal stage. This virus shows promise for population regulation and can produce reduction in feeding damage.