Abstract
The nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Spodoptera litura (S1NPV) was transmitted by male moths contaminated with polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) of S1NPV to the next generation. The clasper or abdomen of male moths were treated with powder or suspension of PIBs. The treated moths were mated with untreated females. So, the clasper treatment with PIBs powder was most effective in S1NPV infection of the next generation larvae in all treatments. S1NPV was transmitted by the male moths self-contaminated with PIBs powder placed around the sex-pheromone source. PIBs were observed on claspers of self-contaminated male moths and also on the eggs oviposited by females mated with contaminated males using SEMed. Many PIBs were microscopically observed in the feces of the male moths which sucked sucrose solution containing PIBs placed around the sex-pheromone source, and the next generation larvae were infected with S1NPV.
