Gypsy Moth Lymantria Dispar Research Articles

Data for increase of Lymantria dispar male survival after topical application of single-stranded RING domain fragment of IAP-3 gene of its nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

This data article is related to the research article entitled “The RING for gypsy moth control: topical application of fragment of its nuclear polyhedrosis virus anti-apoptosis gene as insecticide” [1]. This article reports on significantly higher survival of gypsy moth Lymantria dispar male individuals in response to topical application of single-stranded DNA, based on RING (really interesting new gene) domain fragment of LdMNPV (L. dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus) IAP-3 (inhibitor of apoptosis) gene and acted as DNA insecticide.

New approaches to quality control for cultures of insects for rearing

An analytical review of existing methods of quality control for cultures of insects for rearing is presented. It is shown that there is a need to search for new approaches to solving this problem. The suggested methods for quality control for insect cultures are based on the rule of taxis intensity dependence on insect viability level. Testing of new methods of control and prediction of biological material viability was carried out on several breeds of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) and a laboratory culture of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.). It was established that the caterpillars of silkworm breeds with high viability show higher chemotaxis intensity. It was found that intensity of taxis manifestation can be considered as a criterion of population condition. Selection of the most promising breeds of silkworm can be carried out at the moment of hatching without expensive rearing. It was shown that testing of neonate caterpillars by chemotaxis intensity provides the control of viability in all stages of insect development. Evaluation of chemotaxis intensity of adult males on female sex pheromone gives the possibility to select the specimens with the highest physiological properties for hybridization as well as to predict viability for progeny. The method of biological material selection by chemotaxis intensity was improved due to decrease the time of selection from 30 to 15 minutes and preliminary starvation of these insects. Positive correlation was evaluated between general viability of silkworm culture and intensity of chemotaxis of neonate larvae to the smell of mulberry leaf during 15 minutes after 12 hours of starvation. A significant increase of viability for silkworm breeds and hybrids was registered using such selection method during the spring and summer rearing. This selection method can be used also for assessment of culture viability. A new express-method of biological material selection for insect cultures establishment has been approbated. It is based on the positive correlation between insect viability parameters and their trophotaxis intensity. It is shown that for establishment of a laboratory culture of gypsy moth it is necessary to obtain the material from populations with the highest chemotaxis intensity. It was experimentally proved that parameters of chemotaxis intensity and insect viability reflect a certain level of population heterozygosity. The higher is the intensity of chemotaxis, the higher is the relative level of population heterozygosity. This fact gives the possibility to determine the level of heterozygosity for artificial insect populations by testing larvae for chemotaxis intensity. This method may be suitable for monitoring of natural populations condition in zones with intensive anthropogenic loading.

Biological control of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar): an RNAi-based approach and a case for DNA insecticides

The discovery of the post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanism, widely known as RNAi (RNA interference),has contributed towards the elucidation of the cellular machinery involved in the response against viral infections based on gene silencing, and in developmental regulation of translational suppression. The application of RNAi in insect pest management (IPM),and gene functional analysis, has been of enormous importance. Unfortunately, as RNAi has many times proven to be difficult to examine in Lepidoptera, focus has shifted to other potential post-genomic options in IPM. Special attention has afforded to novel DNA insecticides based on preparations of short single-stranded fragments of baculovirus anti-apoptosis genes, which represent a safe and relatively rapid alternative approach for IPM. This paper focuses on the draw backs and advantages of DNA insecticides used in gypsy moth control and based on RNAi.

Temporal variation in the synchrony of weather and its consequences for spatiotemporal population dynamics.

Over large areas, synchronous fluctuations in population density are often attributed to environmental stochasticity (e.g., weather) shared among local populations. This concept was first advanced by Patrick Moran who showed, based on several assumptions, that long-term population synchrony will equal the synchrony of environmental stochasticity among locations. We examine the consequences of violating one of Moran's assumptions, namely that environmental synchrony is constant through time. We demonstrate that the synchrony of weather conditions from regions across the United States varied considerably from 1895 to 2010. Using a simulation model modified from Moran's original study, we show that temporal variation in environmental synchrony can cause changes in population synchrony, which in turn can temporarily increase or decrease the amplitude of regional-scale population fluctuations. A case study using the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) provides empirical support for these predictions. This study provides theoretical and empirical evidence that temporal variation in environmental synchrony can be used to identify factors that synchronize population fluctuations and highlights a previously underappreciated cause of variability in population dynamics.

Alteration of the Activities of Trypsin and Leucine Aminopeptidase in Gypsy Moth Caterpillars Exposed to Dietary Cadmium

This paper examined the gut digestive enzymes, trypsin and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), in gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar, L.) larvae exposed to cadmium. We analyzed the 3-day acute effect, chronic effects from hatching until sacrifice, and recovery from long-term dietary treatment with cadmium concentrations of 10 and 30 μg Cd/g dry food. The activities of both examined enzymes declined at the higher level of cadmium after both acute and chronic treatments and did not recover within 3 days of feeding a diet with no added cadmium. Leucine aminopeptidase was more sensitive because its activity was inhibited after both short-term treatments. Three trypsin and one leucine aminopeptidase isoform were detected by electrophoresis. Egg hatches (full-sib families) differed in enzyme activities, index of phenotypic plasticity, and isozyme expression after different treatments. Statistically significant positive correlations between these enzymes pointed to common genetic regulation. Moreover, variances were higher for the control group than for cadmium treatment groups implying that these proteolytic enzymes did not participate directly in detoxification. These results suggest that, with additional research to discover the mechanisms of enzyme inhibition, trypsin and leucine aminopeptidase might be used as biomarkers to indicate the severity of gastrointestinal disease due to cadmium intake.

Outbreak History (1953-2014) of Spring Defoliators Impacting Oak-Dominated Forests in Virginia, with Emphasis on Gypsy Moth (Lymantria disparL.) and Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometariaHarris)

Oaks are a major component of forests in the eastern United States, including Virginia. In addition to the economic importance of select oak species for timber production, oaks are an essential component of many forest ecosystems, benefitting multiple species of wildlife and enhancing biodiversity. There is some concern for the future of oak forests because, in many locales, increasing rates of decline and loss among maturing cohorts of oak-dominant canopies are not being sufficiently replaced by oak regeneration. In time, without proper management, oaks may become significantly less abundant as they are gradually replaced by more competitive tree species and non-native invasive plants. Among a variety of spring defoliators, the gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar L.) and fall cankerworm ( Alsophila pometaria Harris) have been major contributors to oak decline in Virginia due to repeated outbreaks spanning many acres and successive years. Many spring defoliators exhibit eruptive population dynamics and spring defoliation causes more harm to host trees than defoliation that occurs later in the growing season. Annual defoliation data from a variety of spring defoliators were collected and summarized from pest survey records by the Virginia Department of Forestry spanning 1953-2014. While gypsy moth was the most damaging agent during this time span, fall cankerworm has been more damaging from 2005-2014. Fall cankerworm is the most common native defoliator in Virginia, with outbreaks occurring approximately every five years for the last 60 years. While the extent of gypsy moth outbreaks seems to have declined recently, fall cankerworm outbreaks appear to be getting worse in Virginia. Other native spring defoliators that prefer oaks have been in outbreak status, albeit less frequently. Overall, defoliator outbreaks may exacerbate oak decline where they occur, resulting in more rapid loss of oak-dominant canopies and a transition to alternate forest types over time.

Canopy recovery of pedunculate oak, Turkey oak and beech trees after severe defoliation by gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar): Case study from Western Hungary

AbstractWe investigated the canopy recovery of 3 tree species (pedunculate oak, Turkey oak, European beech) at two locations in the Veszprém county (Western Hungary) after severe defoliation by gypsy moth caterpillars in the spring of 2005. The Turkey oak has evidently the best recovery potential, and it almost completely replaced the lost foliage in 4 months. The pedunculate oak and beech needed 2 years to reach the same level of recovery. The pedunculate oak suffered from a heavy infection ofMicrosphaera alphitoidesafter defoliation and it probably slowed down its recovery. Neither the presence ofAgrilus biguttatusin the oak plot nor the appearance ofAgrilus viridisin the beech plot was observed during the study period. Population density of the buprestidCoraebus floerentinusshowed a considerable increase in the oak plot, but remained under the damage level. Neither other harmful appearance of other pests nor significant tree mortality were observed within 4 years from the defoliation. These results provide information for the evaluation of longer term influences of the gypsy moth defoliation and may support the decisions concerning pest control.

Risk Reduction of an Invasive Insect by Targeting Surveillance Efforts with the Assistance of a Phenology Model and International Maritime Shipping Routes and Schedules.

Reducing the risk of introduction to North America of the invasive Asian gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij and L. d. japonica [Motschulsky]) on international maritime vessels involves two tactics: (1) vessels that wish to arrive in Canada or the United States and have visited any Asian port that is subject to regulation during designated times must obtain a predeparture inspection certificate from an approved entity; and (2) vessels with a certificate may be subjected to an additional inspection upon arrival. A decision support tool is described here with which the allocation of inspection resources at North American ports can be partitioned among multiple vessels according to estimates of the potential onboard Asian gypsy moth population and estimates of the onboard larval emergence pattern. The decision support tool assumes that port inspection is uniformly imperfect at the Asian ports and that each visit to a regulated port has potential for the vessel to be contaminated with gypsy moth egg masses. The decision support tool uses a multigenerational phenology model to estimate the potential onboard population of egg masses by calculating the temporal intersection between the dates of port visits to regulated ports and the simulated oviposition pattern in each port. The phenological development of the onboard population is simulated each day of the vessel log until the vessel arrives at the port being protected from introduction. Multiple independent simulations are used to create a probability distribution of the size and timing of larval emergence.

Effects of pathogen exposure on life-history variation in the gypsymoth (Lymantria dispar).

Investment in host defences against pathogens may lead to trade-offs with host fecundity. When such trade-offs arise from genetic correlations, rates of phenotypic change by natural selection may be affected. However, genetic correlations between host survival and fecundity are rarely quantified. To understand trade-offs between immune responses to baculovirus exposure and fecundity in the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), we estimated genetic correlations between survival probability and traits related to fecundity, such as pupal weight. In addition, we tested whether different virus isolates have different effects on male and female pupal weight. To estimate genetic correlations, we exposed individuals of known relatedness to a single baculovirus isolate. To then evaluate the effect of virus isolate on pupal weight, we exposed a single gypsy moth strain to 16 baculovirus isolates. We found a negative genetic correlation between survival and pupal weight. In addition, virus exposure caused late-pupating females to be identical in weight to males, whereas unexposed females were 2-3 times as large as unexposed males. Finally, we found that female pupal weight is a quadratic function of host mortality across virus isolates, which is likely due to trade-offs and compensatory growth processes acting at high and low mortality levels, respectively. Overall, our results suggest that fecundity costs may strongly affect the response to selection for disease resistance. In nature, baculoviruses contribute to the regulation of gypsy moth outbreaks, as pathogens often do in forest-defoliating insects. We therefore argue that trade-offs between host life-history traits may help explain outbreak dynamics.

Effects of leaf maturity and wind stress on the nutrition of the generalist caterpillar Lymantria dispar feeding on poplar

AbstractThe growth rates of insect herbivores commonly decrease when they feed on mature leaves due to the combined effects of several nutritional and physiological mechanisms. Environmental stresses during leaf development may also decrease herbivore performance. The present study tests two main hypotheses to help clarify the importance of these factors for the nutrition and growth of an insect herbivore: (i) decreases in nutrient levels, consumption rates and nutrient assimilation efficiencies impact negatively on herbivores feeding on mature leaves and (ii) wind stress has a negative impact on herbivores feeding on mature leaves. The results show that mature poplar (Populus alba × Populus tremula) leaves have decreased levels of protein and increased levels of fibre, and that growth rates of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) are decreased on mature leaves in association with decreased consumption rates. However, in contrast to the first hypothesis, protein and carbohydrate are assimilated efficiently (74–82% and 84–87%, respectively) from immature and mature poplar leaves. The larvae are able to chew mature leaves as efficiently as immature leaves, potentially maximizing nutrient extraction. By contrast to the second hypothesis, wind‐stressed leaves have no significant detrimental effects on nutrient assimilation efficiencies, and the lower growth rates of L. dispar larvae feeding on mature wind‐stressed leaves can be explained by lower consumption rates. Therefore, the availability of nutrients to herbivores feeding on mature tree leaves is not necessarily impacted by lower assimilation efficiencies, even when leaves develop under wind stress. These results help explain some of the large variation between the nutritional qualities of trees for forest Lepidoptera.

Influence of Genotype, Environment, and Gypsy Moth Herbivory on Local and Systemic Chemical Defenses in Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides).

Numerous studies have explored the impacts of intraspecific genetic variation and environment on the induction of plant chemical defenses by herbivory. Relatively few, however, have considered how those factors affect within-plant distribution of induced defenses. This work examined the impacts of plant genotype and soil nutrients on the local and systemic phytochemical responses of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) to defoliation by gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). We deployed larvae onto foliage on individual tree branches for 15 days and then measured chemistry in leaves from: 1) branches receiving damage, 2) undamaged branches of insect-damaged trees, and 3) branches of undamaged control trees. The relationship between post-herbivory phytochemical variation and insect performance also was examined. Plant genotype, soil nutrients, and damage all influenced phytochemistry, with genotype and soil nutrients being stronger determinants than damage. Generally, insect damage decreased foliar nitrogen, increased levels of salicinoids and condensed tannins, but had little effect on levels of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor, TI3. The largest damage-mediated tannin increases occurred in leaves on branches receiving damage, whereas the largest salicinoid increases occurred in leaves of adjacent, undamaged branches. Foliar nitrogen and the salicinoid tremulacin had the strongest positive and negative relationships, respectively, with insect growth. Overall, plant genetics and environment concomitantly influenced both local and systemic phytochemical responses to herbivory. These findings suggest that herbivory can contribute to phytochemical heterogeneity in aspen foliage, which may in turn influence future patterns of herbivory and nutrient cycling over larger spatial scales.

Modeling Optimal Strategies for Finding a Resource-Linked, Windborne Odor Plume: Theories, Robotics, and Biomimetic Lessons from Flying Insects.

Male moths locate females by navigating along her pheromone plume, often flying hundreds of meters en route. As the first male to find a calling female is most apt to be her mate, this can be termed "a race to find the female" and it is assumed to be under strong selective pressure for efficiency and rapidity. Locating a distant, odor-linked resource involves two strategies. The first is to contact the outer envelope of the odor plume. When wind direction is relatively invariant, the plume stretches and then crosswind flights may be favored, although when wind direction shifts over 60°, upwind and downwind paths may be optimal. Alternatively, the path may be random with respect to the direction of wind flow, with periodic changes in direction, as in either Lévy or Random Walks. After first detecting the pheromone, a second strategy follows: moths navigate along the plume by heading upwind when the pheromone is detected, with crosswind casting to re-establish contact if the plume is lost. This orientation path is not straightforward in nature, however, because atmospheric turbulence fragments the plume, thereby creating large odor gaps. Furthermore, a shifting wind direction can lead the responder out of the plume. One way to explore which strategies are optimal for enabling initial contact with the plume and subsequent navigation is through modeling of plumes' dispersal and of insects' flight strategies. Our simulations using the flight characteristics of the male gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) suggest that search strategies similar to Lévy Walks are most apt to result in a high probability of contact with plumes. Although a searching trajectory aimed predominately crosswind performed almost as well as those with a random orientation when wind direction was relatively stable, downwind biased trajectories were least successful. A random orientation with respect to immediate wind flow, as used in our simulations of Lévy and Random Walks, seems optimal both for initial discovery of the plume and likelihood of locating an odor source. In the two available direct field observations, moths adopted a random orientation with respect to concurrent wind direction.

Benefits of invasion prevention: Effect of time lags, spread rates, and damage persistence

Quantifying economic damages caused by invasive species is crucial for cost-benefit analyses of biosecurity measures. Most studies focus on short-term damage estimates, but evaluating exclusion or prevention measures requires estimates of total anticipated damages from the time of establishment onward. The magnitude of such damages critically depends on the timing of damages relative to a species' arrival because costs are discounted back to the time of establishment. Using theoretical simulations, we illustrate how (ceteris paribus) total long-term damages, and hence the benefits of prevention efforts, are greater for species that a) have short lags between introduction and spread or between arrival at a location and initiation of damages, b) cause larger, short-lived damages (as opposed to smaller, persistent damages), and c) spread faster or earlier. We empirically estimate total long-term discounted impacts for three forest pests currently invading North America — gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) — and discuss how damage persistence, lags between introduction and spread, and spread rates affect damages. Many temporal characteristics can be predicted for new invaders and should be considered in species risk analyses and economic evaluations of quarantine and eradication programs.

Leaf surface lipophilic compounds as one of the factors of silver birch chemical defense against larvae of gypsy moth.

Plant chemical defense against herbivores is a complex process which involves a number of secondary compounds. It is known that the concentration of leaf surface lipophilic compounds (SLCs), particularly those of flavonoid aglycones are increased with the defoliation treatment of silver birch Betula pendula. In this study we investigated how the alteration of SLCs concentration in the food affects the fitness and innate immunity of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar. We found that a low SLCs concentrations in consumed leaves led to a rapid larval development and increased females’ pupae weight (= fecundity) compared to larvae fed with leaves with high SLCs content. Inversely, increasing the compounds concentration in an artificial diet produced the reverse effects: decreases in both larval weight and larval survival. Low SLCs concentrations in tree leaves differently affected larval innate immunity parameters. For both sexes, total hemocytes count in the hemolymph increased, while the activity of plasma phenoloxidase decreased when larvae consume leaves with reduced content of SLCs. Our results clearly demonstrate that the concentration of SLCs in silver birch leaves affects not only gypsy moth fitness but also their innate immune status which might alter the potential resistance of insects against infections and/or parasitoids.

Beetle feeding induces a different volatile emission pattern from black poplar foliage than caterpillar herbivory

Herbivore-induced plant volatile emission is often considered to be attacker species-specific, but most experimental evidence comes from short lived herbaceous species. In a recent study we showed that black poplar (Populus nigra) trees emit a complex blend of volatiles from damaged leaves when they are attacked by generalist gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars. Minor nitrogenous volatiles were especially characteristic of this blend. Here we show that attack on P. nigra by a beetle species, Phratora vulgatissima (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), led to the emission of the same compounds as already observed after caterpillar herbivory, but with striking quantitative changes in the blend. The consequences for attraction of herbivore enemies are discussed.

Genetic structure, admixture and invasion success in a Holarctic defoliator, the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar, Lepidoptera: Erebidae).

Characterizing the current population structure of potentially invasive species provides a critical context for identifying source populations and for understanding why invasions are successful. Non-native populations inevitably lose genetic diversity during initial colonization events, but subsequent admixture among independently introduced lineages may increase both genetic variation and adaptive potential. Here we characterize the population structure of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar Linnaeus), one of the world's most destructive forest pests. Native to Eurasia and recently introduced to North America, the current distribution of gypsy moth includes forests throughout the temperate region of the northern hemisphere. Analyses of microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences for 1738 individuals identified four genetic clusters within L.dispar. Three of these clusters correspond to the three named subspecies; North American populations represent a distinct fourth cluster, presumably a consequence of the population bottleneck and allele frequency change that accompanied introduction. We find no evidence that admixture has been an important catalyst of the successful invasion and range expansion in North America. However, we do find evidence of ongoing hybridization between subspecies and increased genetic variation in gypsy moth populations from Eastern Asia, populations that now pose a threat of further human-mediated introductions. Finally, we show that current patterns of variation can be explained in terms of climate and habitat changes during the Pleistocene, a time when temperate forests expanded and contracted. Deeply diverged matrilines in Europe imply that gypsy moths have been there for a long time and are not recent arrivals from Asia.

Characterization of the transcriptome of the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar identifies numerous transcripts associated with insecticide resistance

Although the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar causes extensive forest damage worldwide, little is known regarding the genes involved in its development or response to insecticides. Accordingly, characterization of the transcriptome of L. dispar larvae would promote the development of toxicological methods for its control. RNA-seq analysis of L. dispar larvae messenger RNA (mRNA) generated 62,063 unigenes with N50 of 993 bp, from which 23,975 unique sequences (E-value < 10−5) were identified using a BLASTx search of the NCBI non-redundant (nr) database. Using functional classification in the Gene Ontology (GO) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) databases, 7,309 indentified sequences were categorized into 51 functional groups and 8,079 sequences were categorized into 25 functional groups, respectively. Moreover, we identified a large number of transcripts encoding known insecticide targets, or proteins involved in the metabolism of insecticides. Reads per kilobase of unigene length per million mapped reads (RPKM) analysis identified 39 high abundance transcripts, of which 27 exhibited significantly altered expression patterns across the egg, larvae, pupae, male and female adult stages. Our study provides the most comprehensive transcriptomic sequence resource for L. dispar, which will form the basis for future identification of candidate insecticide resistance genes in L. dispar.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Strain of Lymantria dispar Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Found in the Gypsy Moth Biopesticide Virin-ENSh.

We report the genome sequence of an alphabaculovirus from the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) biopesticide Virin-ENSh. The genome sequence is 161,712 bp, and its structure and sequence similarity indicate that the virus used in Virin-ENSh is a strain of the species Lymantria dispar multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Nutrients are assimilated efficiently byLymantria disparcaterpillars from the mature leaves of trees in the Salicaceae

The efficient aquisition of nutrients from leaves by insect herbivores increases their nutrient assimilation rates and overall fitness. Caterpillars of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) have high protein assimilation efficiencies (PAE) from the immature leaves of trees such as red oak (Quercus rubra) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) (71–81%) but significantly lower PAE from their mature leaves (45–52%). By contrast to this pattern, both PAE and carbohydrate assimilation efficiencies (CAE) remain high for L. dispar larvae on the mature leaves of poplar (Populus alba × Populus tremula) grown in greenhouse conditions. The present study tests two alternative hypotheses: (i) outdoor environmental stresses cause decreased nutrient assimilation efficiencies from mature poplar leaves and (ii) nutrients in the mature leaves of trees in the poplar family (Salicaceae) remain readily available for L. dispar larvae. When poplar trees are grown in ambient outdoor conditions, PAE and CAE remain high (approximately 75% and 78%, respectively) in L. dispar larvae, in contrast to the first hypothesis. When larvae feed on the mature leaves of species in the Salicaceae [aspen (Populus tremuloides), cottonwood (Populus deltoides), willow (Salix nigra) and poplar], PAE and CAE also remain high (68–76% and 72–92%, respectively), consistent with the second hypothesis. Larval growth rates are strongly associated with protein assimilation rates, and more strongly associated with protein assimilation rates than with carbohydrate assimilation rates. It is concluded that tree species in the Salicaceae are relatively high-quality host plants for L. dispar larvae, in part, because nutrients in their mature leaves remain readily available.

Investigation of mode of action of DNA insecticides on thebasis of LdMNPV IAP-3 gene

This study investigates the mechanism of action of DNA insecticides, a novel preparation against gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) based on the DNA fragments of the antiapoptotic gene of its nuclear polyhedrosis virus. In our experiments gypsy moth showed significant susceptibility to applied DNA insecticides on the basis of BIR and RING domains fragments of LdMNPV IAP-3, whereas common fruit fly and tobacco hornworm did not. PCR with the same fragments of BIR and RING domains of the LdMNPV IAP-3 gene as primers revealed parts of the genomes of gypsy moth, common fruit fly, and tobacco hornworm. Part of the gypsy moth genome cloned with the fragments of BIR and RING domains of the LdMNPV IAP-3 gene as primers has an overlap with the corresponding part of the LdMNPV IAP-3 gene and Lymantria dispar IAP-1 mRNA for an inhibitor of apoptosis protein with the high cover of the latter by query, which allows assuming that we cloned a part of a gypsy moth antiapoptosis gene. This finding suggests that DNA insecticides might act through the mechanisms characteristic for blocking of posttranscriptional expression of gypsy moth antiapoptosis genes.