leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on May 25, 2015 2:31:09 GMT -8
NPV's are usually pretty specific as to what they kill. The one for gypsy moths also kills about a half dozen other species that are closely related here in the Midwest. They are generally touted as the most "biologically friendly" agents you can use. They are expensive - because you have to grow the virus in larvae. . j I would like to lean more on this topic of growing a virus in larvae. Do you have any literature or links on the subject. I just recently read several article on growing both virus and bacteria in chicken eggs. I am curious as to how this is accomplished with larvae. |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by jshuey on May 25, 2015 5:17:00 GMT -8
NPV's are usually pretty specific as to what they kill. The one for gypsy moths also kills about a half dozen other species that are closely related here in the Midwest. They are generally touted as the most "biologically friendly" agents you can use. They are expensive - because you have to grow the virus in larvae. . j I would like to lean more on this topic of growing a virus in larvae. Do you have any literature or links on the subject. I just recently read several article on growing both virus and bacteria in chicken eggs. I am curious as to how this is accomplished with larvae. Hey Leroy, Google "NPV virus production" and you'll hit a gold mine. Basically you raise a bunch of larvae that look like Clark's, and in the old days, you just ground them up and sprayed them (and hope that your sprayer didn't plug up). it's really that simple - but hard to mass produce. John |
|
leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on May 25, 2015 7:25:24 GMT -8
Hello John:
That will keep me in reading material for a while.
One of my customers is in Remington, IN, just up the intersate from you. Their neighbor is Monsanto who currently has a large corn processing in Remington,IN.
I am not sure who is working on what, however, you set out numerous light traps and pheromone traps, when you trap the first male, you apply this material to the soil. Several days later the corn sucks up the material and a day or two later a female corn borer lays eggs on the corn, By the time the plant sucks up a bunch of this material, the caterpillar begins to eat the plant with the material. Shortly there after, the caterpillar dies.
This is not the first time I have heard this process, however, the problem is the run off. Every plant that takes in this material will kill everything that eats the plant. (Possibly humans??)
I do know that these two processes are the same. I also know that the basic process is identical to the flea and tick material we use on pets (Frontline).
Supposedly this is to be used only 0n corn for ethynol. Yes'sery Buffalo Bob, only on ethanol corn!!!!
|
|
leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on May 25, 2015 7:38:06 GMT -8
Hi Just a quick comment that I wish to raise. The NPV Wiki link clearly says "The virus is unable to affect humans in the way it affects insects: human cells are acid-based, while this virus requires an alkaline-based cell in order to replicate". No sh*t Sherlock. Mark is this rule for all the vriruses or only some kinds ? I am taking this to the "Porch Light" |
|
|
|
Post by admin on May 26, 2015 2:05:22 GMT -8
From the looks of things, I am out of the gulf-rearing business for good. My whole backyard and house is probably infected. It was fun while it lasted.
|
|
|
|
Post by myotis on May 26, 2015 3:04:21 GMT -8
Clark, have you tried Oxine. I've had great success with that stuff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by irisscientist on Jun 9, 2015 6:38:41 GMT -8
A similar widespread problem (Hawaii, CA and elsewhere) being reported with Gulf fritillary on the WWBB-Basic forum. Seems like there could be a wider issue emerging here: groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wwbb-basic Mark |
|
|
|
Post by ironhunt on Jun 9, 2015 11:39:08 GMT -8
I am also in Southern California.
I haven't found any dead fritillary caterpillars, just haven't seen any big ones. That could have something to do with the fluctuating weather. If this is an NPV infection, I actually don't think that cutting down the vines will necessarily solve the problem permanently. It seems that this virus is ON the plants, not IN the plants, so treating it like a plant virus (destroying affected plants) may make the situation worse for the surviving butterflies. I have a pretty good knowledge of pathology (I have weird interests sometimes) and this seems to behave like a topically transmitted infection, i.e. infected body fluid transmits the disease to other individuals that come in direct contact with the contaminated fluid.
Unfortunately, as with any other insect disease, I doubt there is any information on how long it can survive outside of a host, so isolating the plants for a decontamination period would be a crap shoot at best. Someone suggested vinegar - a pretty well known defoliant - in small quantities to remove the virus since it is acid based. While this may work, you may also end up destroying your plants. Although it can also be a defoliant, I've been able to use 70% isopropyl alcohol in a bottle with a fine mist sprayer in the past to treat certain plants. This is a known anti viral, and can act as either a base or acid, depending on the circumstances, if I remember correctly. It does not kill ALL viruses, but something like 99% of them, so the odds are good. I've never tried it on passionvine, but it may be worth a shot. It evaporates quickly, but leaves nearly no residue. The downside is that it will kill EVERYTHING insect on the plants if it comes in direct contact with them - eggs, caterpillars, spiders, etc.
If the virus thrives in an alkaline environment, any soaps, anti-fungals, etc. that are applied to them may contribute to the spread of the contaminant when water hits it, so these should be discontinued while trying to eliminate the virus. Since the transmission method appears to be direct contact, it may also be a good idea to collect any dead caterpillars, frass, dropped leaves, or fluid stains from the carcasses and burn them. No virus likes fire.
UV light is another pretty good way to wipe out most viruses. I don't think they are particularly cheap, but portable UV sterilization lights are available. You could potentially use one of these (maybe run it over the plants a twice a day for a few minutes each time?) to remove any remaining surface virus. Effects on the plant itself or uninfected eggs and caterpillars are unknown. I've never tried this. If you have many large plants, though, this may not be viable.
A potted plant could be isolated, disinfected with alcohol and/or UV, then have non-infected individuals (or adult butterflies) re-introduced to it to see if this method has an effect on the transmission of the virus.
Hope this helps.
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Jun 9, 2015 16:30:42 GMT -8
Hey Iron! Welcome to the Forum and thanks for your insight. I too can find small gulf larvae but no large ones. I think the reason is this: the virus does not kill them until the last instar. I have observed this under controlled conditions many times. They grow and grow seemingly normally but then when they are approaching the time to pupate they turn to mush at the last hour and never make it to the pupa stage.
This puts me out of the gulf business. But oddly, I have a friend in LA who is just picking healthy pupae off a passion vine in some office building parking lot! Go figure.
|
|
|
|
Post by ironhunt on Jun 10, 2015 6:59:04 GMT -8
I had the same kind of thing happen a few years ago when rearing painted ladies. I lost a couple hundred. I thought it was because of too much moisture in my enclosure because most of the air holes had become plugged and I didn't notice. Since I was using artificial food, I never had to open the tank and it got quite humid in there. Perhaps it was a virus. Maybe the recent late-season rain and low temps help the virus propagate?
I'm going to try sterilizing a few of my plants and see if that helps at all. I still see adult butterflies come through my yard from time to time...
|
|
|
|
Post by ironhunt on Jun 18, 2015 19:20:35 GMT -8
UPDATE: I've got at least two really large fritillary caterpillars on one of my smaller vines as of today. Both seem to be in the last instar and are still acting normally. I also located two empty chrysalis, so there are at least some of them making it to adulthood in my area. If I can keep track of the larva I will post what happens to them.
|
|
|
|
Post by ironhunt on Jun 25, 2015 7:13:52 GMT -8
Both of my big guys ended up changing into chrysalises. There are more eggs on my plant, so hopefully, there will be more!
|
|
