Biocontrol Science and Technology (2018) 28, 1178-1190

Zeynep Bayramoglu, Remziye Nalcacioglu, Zihni Demirbag and Ismail Demir (2018)
Characterization of a Betabaculovirus from the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), in Turkey
Biocontrol Science and Technology 28 (12), 1178-1190
Abstract: A broad survey of the fall webworm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) populations in agricultural and forested areas in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey led to the detection of a granulovirus (GV). Hyphantria cunea granulovirus (HycuGV)-Hc1 isolate was characterized and tested against third instar larvae of H. cunea. Electron microscopy confirmed typical GV morphology with ovoid granules of approximately 368 ± 16 nm × 201 ± 19 nm. Each granule contained a single rod-shaped virion with a mean size of 43 ± 12 nm × 250 ± 12 nm. The genome was analyzed by restriction endonuclease and estimated to be ~112 kb. Partial sequencing of the granulin (gran), late expression factor-8 (lef-8) and late expression factor-9 (lef-9) genes also confirmed the identity of the virus as HycuGV. A phylogenetic analysis based on these conserved genes, HycuGV-Hc1 grouped together with the previous HycuGV isolate (A5-1) and Estigmene acrea granulovirus (EsacGV) isolate from the same family. The LC₅₀ of HycuGV-Hc1 was 2.6 × 10⁴ occlusion bodies (OBs/ml). Pot experiments, under field conditions, showed significant differences between virus treated and control groups. This is the first study to describe a novel Turkish HycuGV-Hc1 isolate, and preliminary data suggests that the virus has a significant potential as an effective biopesticide for control of H. cunea.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Hyphantria cunea		Turkey
Betabaculovirus hycuneae (entomopathogen)	Hyphantria cunea		Turkey