Gonad-specific virus of corn earworm

Two closely related species of moths, the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea, in the United States, and the legume pod borer/cotton bollworm H. armigera, in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, constitute major pests of several field crops. In a colony of H. zea, maintained at Stoneville, Mississippi, we obs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1995-04, Vol.374 (6525), p.770-770
Main Authors: Raina, Ashok K, Adams, Jean R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Helicoverpa zea
Humanities and Social Sciences
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
scientific-correspondence
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Summary:Two closely related species of moths, the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea, in the United States, and the legume pod borer/cotton bollworm H. armigera, in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, constitute major pests of several field crops. In a colony of H. zea, maintained at Stoneville, Mississippi, we observed atrophy of the reproductive system in 20-55% of adults (mean 35% over seven generations), with no mating observed among such adults. Here we report the discovery of a previously undescribed virus associated with these agonadal (AG) moths. Ultrastructural studies have shown that the virus is confined to the reproductive system; therefore we designate it a gonad-specific virus (GSV). Normal-looking females among the GSV-infected progeny do carry the virus. It is therefore feasible that GSV could be introduced into the natural population of H. zea by infecting newly emerged females with a very low titre of the virus and releasing these females into the field.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/374770a0