The initial effects of the infection by AgMNPV in the total and differential counts of the hemocytes in

ABSTRACT. Citological characterization of the Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) hemocytes in resistant larvae to the virus AgMNPV. The occurrence of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner, 1932) larvae resistant to the virus AgMNPV in laboratory led to the study of the hemocytes of this insect, in order to evalue its participation in the mechanisms which enables the resistance to the virus. The resistant larvae with 6 to 11 developmental days old (3 rd to 5 th instars) were anesthetized by cold and after that were quickly cleaned in 70% alcohol. The hemolymph was collected through abdominal puncturing; the morphological analysis was made in phase contrast and colored smears with Seller solution. The total hemocytes counting (THC), was made in modified Neubauer chamber with not diluted hemolymph. For the differential hemocytes counting (DHC), was used diluted hemolymph in anticoagulant solution for insects. Six hemocytes types were identified: plasmatocytes (38.5%), granulocytes (22.6%), oenocytoids (20.4%), spherulocytes (14.5%), prohemocytes (2.3%) and vermiform (1.5%). The total number of hemocytes showed a significant increase during the studied larval period.

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