ABSTRACT
The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L., Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) is one of the most serious pest of various forestal, food and industrial crops worldwide. We have characterized a new Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV-T4) variant, which was isolated from dead L. dispar larvae in Turkey. Scanning electron microscope observations showed that the polyhedral occlusion bodies (OBs) of the LdMNPV-T4 were irregularly shaped. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that OBs of LdMNPV-T4 were occupied with several virions in which multiple nucleocapsids packaged by viral envelope. Restriction analysis of the LdMNPV-T4 DNA purified from the viral inclusion bodies yielded BamHI, BglII, EcoRI and HindIII fragments. The mean size estimated for the complete LdMNPV-T4 genome was calculated to be 163.3 kb. Phylogenetic analysis of amplified polh, lef-8 and lef-9 sequences showed its relation to the other NPVs from Lymantria species. Mortality values of the LdMNPV-T4 at four different concentrations against third instar larvae of L. dispar ranged from 45% to 88%. These results suggest that LdMNPV-T4 isolated from Turkey is a promising microbial control agent to be utilized for the biological control of L. dispar.
Acknowledgement
This study was supported by the Karadeniz Technical University Research Foundation (KTU BAP 9549).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.