Evaluation of Commercial Virus Biopesticides for the Control of Moth Pests in Laboratory Conditions: The Cases of Thaumetopoea pityocampa and Helicoverpa armigera

Abstract

The research on entomopathogenic viruses is of major significance as they could serve as alternatives to chemical pesticides. There are various types of entomopathogenic viruses; among them, Baculoviruses (BVs) are a potential option because they are eco-friendly and target specific. The experiment in question aimed to evaluate the effect of three insect-specific commercial viruses, Cydia pomonella Granulovirus (CpGV), Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopoyhedrovirus (HearNPV), and Phthorimaea operculella Granulovirus (PoG), on the third-instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). The viruses’ concentrations when tested were 500 ppm, 1000 ppm, 1500 ppm, 3000 ppm, and 6000 ppm, and were applied on the eating medium. Both mortality and larval weight were monitored for 6 days. All three viruses had significant mortality rates on both moths (23.3–83.3% in the highest dose) and larval weights had considerable decreases (70–80% in the highest dose). Generally, noteworthy insecticidal action was recorded after 4 days and in doses higher than 1500 ppm. These results highlight that entomopathogenic viruses may infect species other than their natural host and can be implemented in terms of Integrated Pest Management.