Abstract
Structures sometimes formed from cells in the midgut of the spruce sawfly, Diprion hercyniae, and previously referred to as “tumors” are more like the capsules formed by many insects as a defense reaction to internal parasites than typical tumors. Although virus infection increases their incidence, tumors are not always formed in diseased specimens. They may also be found in virus-free adults—over 10% of the healthy specimens examined contained tumors. The presence of tumors is associated with reductions in adult size, fecundity, and fertility. If present in virus-infected adults there is a reduction in transmission of the virus from adult to progeny. The factors responsible for tumor formation in healthy sawfly adults are unknown.
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