Susceptibility of third instar larvae of Lymantria dispar L.to an American isolate of the Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

Abstract: Some tests have been carried out in order to estimate the susceptibility of a gypsymoth population from North Sardinia to an American isolate of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus.Third-instar larvae were infected by contaminating the artificial diet with variable concentrationsof different viral suspensions. The analysis of larval mortality and development data revealsconsiderable susceptibility of the Sardinian populations of Lymantria dispar to the Americanisolate of the virus.