Isolation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis from diseased field-collected larvae of the saturniid moth, Hylesia metabus, in French Guiana

Abstract

An isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (BTI) was obtained from field-collected larvae of the saturniid moth, Hylesia metabus. This isolate was shown to belong to serotype H 14, and to produce a spherical parasporal body identical to that of the type strain of BTI. With an LC50 of 0.764 μg cm-2, this isolate was more toxic to H. metabus than the HD-1 strain of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (HD-1). These results demonstrate that BTI can be active against lepidopterous insects, a wider spectrum of activity than previously realized. © 1993.