Yields of occlusion bodies from Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Helicoverpa (Heliothis) zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae fed wild or recombinant strains of baculoviruses

Abstract

Larvae of Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens fed recombinant strains of two nucleopolyhedroviruses (AcMNPV, HzSNPV), genetically engineered to express two different scorpion toxins, produced significantly Lower numbers (ca. 4 to 10-fold lower) of occlusion bodies than larvae infected with the wild strain of these viruses. Lower yields of occlusion bodies were a manifestation of early larval paralysis caused by the toxin-expressing recombinant strains.