Abstract
Nosema lymantriae is a microsporidian pathogen of the gypsy moth,
Lymantria dispar that has been documented to be at least partially responsible for the collapse of
L. dispar outbreak populations in Europe. To quantify horizontal transmission of this pathogen under field conditions we performed caged-tree experiments that varied (1) the density of the pathogen through the introduction of laboratory-infected larvae, and (2) the total time that susceptible (test) larvae were exposed to these infected larvae. The time frame of the experiments extended from the early phase of colonization of the target tissues by the microsporidium to the onset of pathogen-induced mortality or pupation of test larvae. Upon termination of each experiment, the prevalence of infection in test larvae was evaluated.
Keywords
Nosema lymantriae,
Lymantria dispar,
microsporidia,
biological control,
horizontal transmission,
disease dynamics
Citation
Hoch, Gernot; D’Amico, Vincent; Solter, Leellen F.; Zubrik, Milan; McManus, Michael L. 2008. Quantifying horizontal transmission of
Nosema lymantriae, a microsporidian pathogen of the gypsy moth,
Lymantria dispar (Lep., Lymantriidae) in field cage studies. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 99: 146-150.
