Well I have an epidemic of NPV with my luna moths. Every week I am finding myself sanitizing the containers they're in. The number of pillars has gone from 27 to 13, mostly from this virus. I need help.
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- Thread starter agent A
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PhilinYuma
Well-known member
I'm almost afraid to ask, Agent A, but how on earth did you come up with nuclear polyhedrosis virus to account of the death of your lunar moths, rather, say, than poor husbandry? How do the corpses of your caterpillars look? Are they just sacs of liquid nastiness? Although it is quite true that this and other viruses can infest an insect population at low levels, you appear to be describing an epizootic, wiping out much of the population that it effects (by definition, an "unusually high number" of deaths must occur in the population). To be frank, I have never seen it in an insect population, but it is not uncommon in large holding tanks of imported tropical fish where there is overcrowding and, I am told, in the fish farming industry.
Unless your caterpillars are as I described them, they are not infected with NPV, indeed, I have never heard of this virus attacking luna moths, though I suppose that that is possible. The most usual vectors for this and other viruses is parasitoids. Are you afflicted with them? The virus is susceptible to ultraviolet light; but I have no idea how much or for how long.
I suggest that you contact someone who is successfully raising these caterpillars, tell them how you are housing and raising yours, and eliminate any possible cause for this increased mortality, besides NPV.
well corpses are black, droopy and hanging from leaves, classical of NPV
Peter Clausen
Well-known member
How are you sanitizing the container?
rinsing with very hot water and bleach, then rinsing more and a good drying.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
As you may know, you can't kill viruses, since they are not alive. The hot water will have no effect, but the bleach might ( that is what OSHA recomends for blood and body fluid contamination) as might 70% or stronger rubbing alcohol. Even so, it may not eliminate the virus, just make it inactive. I don't know what you are keeping your caterpillars in, but if possible, you would do well to get rid of your current enclosures and start again. I guess that I should also point out that NPV does not infect by contact. In larvae, its only means of ingress is by a caterpillar eating leaves that have the virus on them -- so you should change your food source -- or, as I suggested, being attacked by a parasitoid. If the cause is bacterial, the same treatment applies, though you are much more likely to kill bacteria. Good luck!
yeah but the only other source of sweetgum is a highway ride away from my house. and if a virus isn't alive, what does it need to invade an animal's system for?
[email protected]
Well-known member
To reproduce.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Exactly. But although this is an important characteristic of living things, viruses lack many of the other criteria for life. They don't respire, they don't move (independently) they do not show irritability, and, perhaps most importantly, they don't grow. Agent A, if you manage to lose yourself, and just look at the phenomena at hand, you will see processes and learn concepts that are as beautiful as anything you will ever behold. Start by saying, "I don't know" (I still say that, and I am several years older than you) and then learn! The process should occupy you for the rest of your life.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Yeah, I always used bleach when I needed to be OSHA compliant, and tropical fish hobbyists, partiularly those working with reef tanks, use the U.V. I have doubts about the efficacy of the latter, though, and of course, you can't kill something that isn't alive!
Actually those are classic symptoms of death caused by excessive humidity in captivity.
yeah well read that too much humidity causes NPV, because it starts when some sort of dust particle combines with moisture in the air, something like that, maybe they all should be housed seperately.
idolomantis
Well-known member
Agent... i had those symptons with a few heteropteryx dilatata and some other insects and i really think it has more to do with to much humidity and to less ventilation than with NPV.
In the UK they call that 'black death'.
Now i have better ventilation and mist them less often. no deaths yet.
In the UK they call that 'black death'.
Now i have better ventilation and mist them less often. no deaths yet.
I don't mist them at all, last brood I kept them in the same cage setup as I do now and misted last brood and there was only 1 death like the kind I'm seeing. And the cages don't fog up like last brood.
idolomantis
Well-known member
Can you please post a picture of your enclosure?
Besides, i also had just sticks 3 out of 45 in the enclosure having this.
Besides, i also had just sticks 3 out of 45 in the enclosure having this.
I can't post a picture because I haven't yet joined a picture posting website yet that I can post pics from (photobucket, flickr, etc.) but I can describe the simple caging method I use.
idolomantis
Well-known member
Do it then..
But joining photobucket is 5 mins of work, if not less.
But joining photobucket is 5 mins of work, if not less.
but I'm too young to join photobucket and you need an email which I don't have right now and my mom won't let me use hers unattended and I don't think she'd let me join it, but I could put a pic of my luna cages in the gallery somewhere.
