The use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins to control insect vectors of human diseases and agricultural pests is threatened by the possible evolution of resistance in major pest species. In addition to high levels of resistance produced by receptor insensitivity (5, 16, 17), several cases of tolerance to low to medium levels of toxin have been reported in laboratory colonies of lepidopte...

A somatic transformation gene vector that exploits the genomic integration properties of Junonia coenia lepidopteran densovirus (JcDNV) sequences in vivo has been developed. JcDNV somatic transformation vectors are derivatives of plasmids containing an interrupted genome of JcDNV that provide efficient, robust vectors that can be used to examine regulation of chromosomally integrated transgenes...

Abstract Background This study was conducted to investigate life table characteristics of the parasitoid species, Goniozus legneri Gordh (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a major gregarious larval ecto-parasitoids carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller (Lep.: Pyralidae). Demographic parameters G. reared on two hosts, moth and flour Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), were studied...

Bkm sequences, originally isolated from snake satellite DNA, are a component of eukaryote genomes with a preferential location on sex chromosomes. In the Ephestia genome, owing to the presence of only a few Bkm-positive BamHI restriction fragments and to extensive restriction fragment length polymorphisms between and within inbred strains, a genetic crossbreeding analysis was feasible. No sex l...