Relationship Between Susceptibility of Gypsy Moth Larvae (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) to a Baculovirus and Host Plant Foliage Constituents

The susceptibility of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., larvae to the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus was significantly altered when larvae were fed different host plants in conjunction with the virus. Larvae consuming the virus on the foliage of oak species suffered lower mortality rates than did larvae consuming the virus-contaminated foliage of aspen species. Decreased viral pathogenicity was correlated with increased acidity and hydrolyzable tannin content of the leaf material.