Abstract
The outbreak of an infectious disease in captive-bred Lepidoptera can cause death of all the caterpillars within days. A mixed baculoviral–bacterial infection observed among Actias selene (Hübner 1807), the Indian moon moth (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), larvae was characterized and followed by a photographic documentation of the disease progression. The etiological agents were determined using mass spectrometry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It appeared that the disease was caused by a mixed infection of larvae with a baculovirus and Morganella morganii. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the virus and microbiological description of the pathogenic bacterium are presented.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Carl Marshall from the butterfly farm for his help and assistance. This work was supported by Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Division of Chemistry, University of Gdansk task fund no. 530-8640-D509-14, and Department of Molecular Biology Department, Division of Biology, University of Gdansk task fund no. 530-L140-D242-14.
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[Skowron MA, Guzow-Krzemińska B, Barańska S, Jędrak P and Węgrzyn G 2015 A rapidly progressing, deadly disease of Actias selene (Indian moon moth) larvae associated with a mixed bacterial and baculoviral infection. J. Biosci.] DOI 10.1007/s12038-015-9538-0
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Skowron, M.A., Guzow-Krzemińska, B., Barańska, S. et al. A rapidly progressing, deadly disease of Actias selene (Indian moon moth) larvae associated with a mixed bacterial and baculoviral infection. J Biosci 40, 487–495 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-015-9538-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-015-9538-0