Laboratory evaluation of temperature effects on the efficacy of Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV-SA) on fourth instar false codling moth larvae : short communication

False codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is an important pest of citrus and subtropical fruit in South Africa, not only because it can cause pre-harvest crop losses, but as it is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, certain export markets consider it of quarantine importance (Stibick 2008; Timm et al., 2010; EPPO 2013). Consequently, a wide range of measures are employed to control the pest in agricultural systems (Moore & Hattingh 2012). Use of Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV-SA) has been suggested as a suitable biological control method for FCM (Opoku-Debrah 2011). This control agent is a baculovirus that is ingested by larvae and caught in the columnar cells of the midgut (Jehle 2002; Jehle et al. 2003). Since baculoviruses are highly virulent and host specific, they are ideal agents for biological control (Opoku-Debrah 2011). However, like many biological control agents their performance can be erratic, since their interaction with their hosts can be influenced by a number of variables, including temperature (Kirkman 2007).