The USDA Forest Service currently uses the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus ( LdNPV) to aerially spray thousands of acres of forest each year. This is especially desirable when beneficial insects are being conserved to aid in an overall IPM program, or when an ecologically sensitive area is being treated. They have been shown to have no negative impacts on plants, mammals, birds, fish, or even on non-target insects. These viruses are excellent candidates for species-specific, narrow spectrum insecticidal applications. The majority of baculoviruses used as biological control agents are in the genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus, so "baculovirus" or "virus" will hereafter refer to nucleopolyhedroviruses. Most insect baculoviruses must be eaten by the host to produce an infection, which is typically fatal to the insect. Because this genetic material is easily destroyed by exposure to sunlight or by conditions in the host's gut, an infective baculovirus particle ( virion) is protected by protein coat called a polyhedron (plural polyhedra: see Figs. Like some human viruses, they are usually extremely small (less than a thousandth of a millimeter across), and are composed primarily of double-stranded DNA that codes for genes needed for virus establishment and reproduction. By Vince D'Amico, NEFES - Microbial Control, Hamden, CTÄ«aculoviruses are pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods.
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