Ecological Entomology (2005) 30, 383-390

Vincent D'Amico, Joseph S. Elkinton, John D. Podgwaite, J.P. Buonaccorsi and Greg Dwyer (2005)
Pathogen clumping: an explanation for non-linear transmission of an insect virus
Ecological Entomology 30 (4), 383-390
Abstract: 1. Previous work has shown that transmission of some insect pathogens is a non-linear process. A number of hypotheses have been put forward as explanations for this phenomenon; however, none have proven wholly satisfactory. Here we test the effects on transmission of spatial distribution of an insect virus by testing whether or not experimental manipulations of pathogen clumping lead to different values of a clumping parameter. The gypsy moth nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV) was used, which is transmitted when larvae consume virus released from previously infected larvae that have died on foliage.
2. It was found that even when virus densities on foliage were equal, overall mortality was lower when virus-killed cadavers were clumped on foliage.
3. Non-linearity is more pronounced when cadavers are clumped than when they are placed at random on the foliage. Placement of droplets containing LdMNPV on foliage resulted in more linear transmission compared with cadavers.
4. Spatial clumping of viral inoculum thus provides part of the explanation for non-linear transmission in this system. The ultimate explanation for non-linear transmission is likely to involve some combination of spatial clumping and heterogeneity in behaviours such as feeding rate or the ability to avoid pathogen.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Vincent D'Amico

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lymantria dispar
Alphabaculovirus lydisparis (entomopathogen)	Lymantria dispar