Isolation of a nuclear-polyhedrosis virus from the almond moth, Cadra cautella

A Nucleopolyhedrovirus from the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

“…The virus described here shows similarities in its nucleocapsid size (30-40 × 190-270 nm) with the viruses in E. cautella and P. interpunctella (Table 1). In contrast, the size of the virus inclusion bodies (1-3.04 µm) from E. kuehniella differs from that (0.95-4 μm) in E. cautella (Thompson and Redlinger 1968), a did the location of the viral inclusion bodies in the insect body. In E. kuehniella, hemolymph, tracheae, and midgut were infected, while in E. cautella, fat body, hypodermis, tracheae (Thompson and Redlinger 1968), blood cells, Malpighian tubules, nervous system, tissue associated with reproductive organs, and cell nuclei of the anterior midgut were infected (Adams and Wilcox 1968).…”

“…Further studies are necessary to clarify the systematic relationship of the virus presented here with NPVs infecting E. cautella (naturally) and P. interpunctella (experimentally) and to determine its potential against E. kuehniella for a useful biological control agent. Thompson and Redlinger (1968) Ephestia cautella 25-40 198-262 Hunter et al (1973b) Plodia interpunctella 25-42 200-250 Hunter et al (1973b) Ephestia kuehniella 30-40 190-270 This study…”

“…NPVs were found in the almond moth, E. cautella (Walker) (Thompson and Redlinger 1968;Xeros 1953), Tineola bisselliella (Hummel) (Hunter et al 1973a;Radek et al 2011), and T. pellionella. GVs were isolated in E. cautella, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), and the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hüb-ner).…”

“…Hunter et al (1973b) showed that NPV isolated from E. cautella was cross-infective to P. interpunctella. Thompson and Redlinger (1968) noted that NPV virions isolated from E. cautella measured 21-32 × 235-300 nm; Hunter et al (1973b) recorded similar-sized virions of 30 (25-40) × 220 (198-262) nm in E. cautella and 32 (25-42) × 227 (200-250) nm in P. interpunctella. The virus described here shows similarities in its nucleocapsid size (30-40 × 190-270 nm) with the viruses in E. cautella and P. interpunctella (Table 1).…”

“…Therefore, the study of natural viral pathogens of storage pests is of great importance for biological control programs. Despite the positive impact of the entomopathogenic viruses on storage pests, there are few studies on viral pathogens of these pests (Hunter 1973;Hunter et al 1973a, b, c;Sait et al 1994;Thompson and Redlinger 1968) and none on E. kuehniella. In this study, we describe for the first time a naturally occurring virus from E. kuehniella, which may be used in biological control.…”