The baculovirus from the lepidopteran host Autographa californica (alfalfa looper) was shown to replicate in a dipteran cell line without the production of characteristic polyhedral inclusion bodies. The low level of replication could not be detected by 50% tissue culture infective dose titrations, but was apparent by [3H]thymidine labeling of the viral genome. Immunoprecipitation of the radioa...

We investigated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Argyreus hyperbius. The 15156 bp long genome harbored the gene content (13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and an A+T-rich region) and the gene arrangement was identical to all known lepidopteran mitogenomes. Mitogenome sequence nucleotide organization and codon usage analyses showed that the genome had a strong...

Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) have been suggested for the environmental monitoring of genetically modified (GM) crops due to their suitability as ecological indicators, and because of the possible adverse impact of the cultivation of current transgenic crops. The German Association of Engineers (VDI) has developed guidelines for the standardized monitoring of Lepidoptera describing the us...

The midgut of larval lepidopteran insects rapidly raises the pH of the entering food from approximately neutral values to as high as pH 12 in some species (Waterhouse, 1949; Dow, 1984). These values are among the highest achieved by biological systems and are all the more remarkable in view of the high rate of food consumption relative to body mass in lepidopteran larvae. The isolated midgut of...

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is currently being used for the control of many agricultural pests, including some lepidopteran species. The SIT relies on the rearing and release of large numbers of genetically sterile insects into a wild population. The holokinetic chromosomes of Lepidoptera respond differently to radiation than do species where there is a localized centromere. This differe...

in the spring and summer of 2012, a survey was conducted to study the biological control agents of field bindweed (convolvolus arvensis l.) in the city of mashhad and its suburban areas. lepidopteran larvae were observed feeding on the leaves of field bindweed. the larvae were collected and reared in an insectarium and later sent to dr h. alipanah (iranian research institute of plant protection...