The Effects of Phenolic, Gallotannin, and Protein Amounts in Plants on Consumption Amount, Survival, and Phenoloxidase Activity of Malacosoma Neustria Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) Larvae Infected with Bacillus Thuringiensis Subsp. Kurstaki

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the changes in total consumption amounts, survival rates, and phenoloxidase (PO) activities in Malacosoma neustria (L, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) larvae infected with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Berliner. Alalacosoma neustria eggs were collected from Bafra District of Samsun, Turkey, in 2018. Halacosoma neustria larvae that hatched from the eggs fed on the host plants, Coryllus maxima Mill., Elaeagnus rhanmoides (L.) A. Nelson, Quercus cerris L. 1753, and Crataegus monogyna Jacq. Except for the control groups, the experiment continued by spraying Bacillus thuringiensis on the plants. The amounts of consumption and survival rates of both the control and infected larvae fed onE rhamnoides leaves with the highest amounts of protein, phenolic, and gallotannin, were higher than in other groups. In all groups, both the consumption amounts and the survival rates decreased with a bacterial infection. When compared to the control groups, the infected groups had the higher phenoloxidase activities (except C monogvna). As a result of this study, it was thought that the changes in total consumption amount, survival rates, and PO activities in larvae were related to both bacterial infection and the amounts of protein, phenolic, and gallotannin in the plants.