Iwona Skrzecz. Forest Research Institute, Warsaw 2006, 75 pp., ISBN-10 83-87647-60-8, 14 EUR. In Polish with abstract, summary, tables and figures in English.
The results of conducted in 1997-2004 investigation on baculoviruses of important forest pest insects observed in the subsequent phases of outbreaks and laboratory evaluation of biological activity of isolated baculoviruses are presented in the study. The results of observations on virus infections of forest foliophagous insects showed prevalence of nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPV) in larvae of the European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer), the pine sawfly (Diprion pini) and caterpillars of the nun moth (Lymantria monacha), the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and the pine beauty moth (Panolis flammea). The estimation of the frequency of occurrence of diseased specimens in insect populations in different phases of outbreaks showed that the number of insects infected with NPV increased with outbreak escalation and the peak of infected insects was observed during the outbreak decline phase. Rapid decline of outbreaks of N. sertifer and L. dispar populations due to NPV infections was observed. Deterioration of population health was observed for P. flammea and D. pini, which resulted in a reduction of population numbers of these pests during the decline phase of outbreak.
NPV isolated from larvae of N. sertifer, D. pini, and caterpillars of L. monacha, L. dispar and P. flammea showed insecticidal activity under laboratory conditions, and the mortality of infected larvae and caterpillars was higher in comparison with not infected specimens.
Key words: Neodiprion sertifer, Dendrolimus pini, Lymantria monacha, Lymantria dispar, Panolis flammea, outbreak, baculoviruses, polyhedron morphology, polyhedrin gene, biological activity of baculoviruses.
