Host specificity of microsporidia pathogenic to the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.): Field studies in Slovakia

Leellen F. Solter; Daniela K. Pilarska; Michael McManus; Milan Zubrik; Jan Patocka; Wei-Fone Huang; Julius Novotny

doi:10.1016/j.jip.2010.04.009

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Host specificity of microsporidia pathogenic to the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.): Field studies in Slovakia

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Leellen F. Solter, Daniela K. Pilarska, Michael McManus, Milan Zubrik, Jan Patocka, Wei-Fone Huang, Julius Novotny

Year:

2010

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2010.04.009

Source:

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 105: 1-10.

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Abstract

Several species of microsporidia are important chronic pathogens of Lymantria dispar in Europe but have never been recovered from North American gypsy moth populations. The major issue for their introduction into North American L. dispar populations is concern about their safety to native non-target insects. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of sympatric non-target Lepidoptera to two species of microsporidia, Nosema lymantriae and Vairimorpha disparis, isolated from European populations of L. dispar and applied in field plots in Slovakia. Application of ultra low volume sprays of the microsporidia maximized coverage of infective spores in a complex natural environment and, thus, exposure of non-target species to the pathogens. Of 653 non-target larvae collected from plots treated with V. disparis in 2002, 18 individual larvae representing nine species in four families were infected.

Keywords

biological control, Cystosporogenes sp, gypsy moth, host range, inundative release, Lymantria dispar, microsporidia, Nosema lymantriae, non-target species, Vairimorpha disparis

Citation

Solter, Leellen F.; Pilarska, Daniela K.; McManus, Michael L.; Zubrik, Milan; Patocka, Jan; Huang, Wei-Fone; Novotny, Julius. 2010. Host specificity of microsporidia pathogenic to the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.): Field studies in Slovakia. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 105: 1-10.