A Nuclear-Polyhedrosis Virus of Spodoptera frugiperda Isolated in Puerto Rico

Abstract

A nuclear-polyhedrosis virus was isolated from a larva of Spodoptera frugiperda collected in Puerto Rico. The virus was found to be pathogenic to the larvae of Heliothis zea and of S. frugiperda but nonpathogenic to those of Diatraea saccharalis and of Galleria mellonella. LD50 for the fourth instar larvae of H. zea and S. frugiperda inoculated per os were 1.25 x 103 and 2.7 x 103 polyhedral inclusion bodies, respectively. The tissues infected included hemocytes, fat body, muscle, and epidermis. Furthermore, transovarian transmission of the virus was found in the inoculated individuals of S. frugiperda