Ascorbic acid influence on larval blood cell number and susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infection in the codling moth, Laspeyresia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract The optimum concentration of ascorbic acid in a semisynthetic diet for codling moth larvae was 0.6–0.8%. The number of circulating hemocytes and the percentage of prohemocytes and phagocytes decreased in larvae reared on the diet with suboptimal and supraoptimal ascorbic acid levels. These larvae were significantly more susceptible to Bacilus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana .