“Dark cheeks,” a lethal disease of locusts provoked by a lepidopterous baculovirus

Abstract The virus causing nuclear polyhedrosis in Spodoptera littoralis (SINPV-type B) could be cross-transmitted perorally to and from two species of locusts, namely the African migratory locust ( Locusta migratoria migratorioides ) and the desert locust ( Schistocerca gregaria ). The virus provokes a lethal disease in locusts which was named “dark cheeks.” The progeny viral DNA replicating in the infected locust hoppers was submitted to restriction endonuclease analysis and was found to be identical with the inoculated parental DNA deriving from SINPV-infected S. littoralis caterpillars. Hence the conclusion that an NPV of a lepidopteran host has for the first time been shown to cross-infect and propagate in members of the hemimetabolous order Orthoptera.