title: Interspecific interaction between Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and Microplitis bicoloratus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrina) in Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae.
abstract: Baculoviruses and parasitoids are important biological control factors of insects in integrated pest management. Microplitis bicoloratus Chen (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrina) is a solitary endoparasitoid of beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae. M. bicoloratus parasitized first to third instars of S. exigua and most effectively parasitized second instars. The survival rate of parasitoids emerging from S. exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV)-infected hosts decreased with increasing SeMNPV doses at second to fourth instars. In addition, the mortality rate of the host was > 80% when coinfected with SeMNPV and M. bicoloratus, regardless of virus doses or the timing of virus treatment. Occlusion body production was significantly reduced in parasitized hosts. A comparison of host weights showed that hosts coinfected with SeMNPV and M bicoloratus were significantly lighter than those infected with SeMNPV alone, suggesting that the decrease in virus yield resulted from a reduction in larval growth. The viral genome copy number in parasitized host was significantly lower than that in nonparasitized host at 48 and 72 h postinfection. These results suggest that SeMNPV and M. bicoloratus are compatible as S. exigua control agents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Entomology, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Shifeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Fanghai
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guanghong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000254:growth & development*; D010058:Oviposition; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D014863:Wasps / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000821:virology*