Biocontrol Science and Technology (2014) 24, 561-573

Jie-Xian Jiang, Yang-Bing Bao, Xiang-Yun Ji and Nian-Feng Wan (2014)
Effect of nucleopolyhedrovirus infection of Spodoptera litura larvae on host discrimination by Microplitis pallidipes
Biocontrol Science and Technology 24 (5), 561-573
Abstract: The behaviour and oviposition of solitary endoparasitoid Microplitis pallidipes Szepligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were monitored to investigate the ability of the parasitoids to distinguish between nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV)-infected and noninfected Spodoptera litura Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae. The results indicated that the parasitoid searching time and the time until the first parasitoid attack on infected larvae were greater than those recorded on noninfected larvae; the number of infected larvae attacked by parasitoids, the percent of first attacks and parasitism rate in infected larvae were lower than those on noninfected larvae; and these differences were all significant 3 to 5 days postexposure of the larvae to a dose of 1.6 × 10⁸ occlusion bodies (OB)· ml⁻¹ and significant 4 and 5 days postexposure of the larvae to a dose of 1.6 × 10⁷ OB·ml⁻¹. The lowest dosage (1.6 × 10⁶ OB·ml⁻¹) had no significant effect on the above index values. In a field cage experiment, we found that the percentage of infected larvae parasitized by M. pallidipes gradually decreased as the time after NPV inoculation (1.6 × 10⁸ OB·ml⁻¹) increased, and that M. pallidipes significantly preferred to oviposit in healthy larvae from day 3 to day 5 after virus inoculation. Our research concluded that this parasitoid's ability to discriminate between healthy and infected hosts increased as virus concentration increased and as the time between exposure of hosts to virus and subsequent exposure to parasitoids increased.
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Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spodoptera litura
Alphabaculovirus spliturae (entomopathogen)	Spodoptera litura
Microplitis pallidipes (parasitoid)	Spodoptera litura