Florida Entomologist (2010) 93, 385-390

Verena-Ulrike Lietze, George Schneider, Pannipa Prompiboon and Drion G. Boucias (2010)
The detection of Bacillus thuringiensis in mass rearing of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Florida Entomologist 93 (3), 385-390
Abstract: A colony of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum Berg, suffered a die-off that involved 100% larval mortality in selected rearing containers. Preliminary microscope examination of wet mounts prepared from dead larvae revealed the presence of numerous uniform, highly refractive particles reminiscent of bacterial spores. Utilizing a combination of bacteriological, molecular, and chemical methods the causal agent responsible for this die-off was found to be a strain of the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Significantly, larvae that were killed supported bacterial growth and sporulation. The gregarious feeding habit of this insect combined with the ability of this bacterium to amplify in dead larvae explains in part the observed rapid spread of sepsis in the rearing containers. Screening the various diet ingredients demonstrated that the cannellini bean flour harbored a variety of heat resistant bacilli including both Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis implicating it as the likely source of toxicity.
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Database assignments for author(s): Verena-Ulrike Lietze

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
rearing/culturing/mass production
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Cactoblastis cactorum
Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (entomopathogen)	Cactoblastis cactorum