Diseases of the Gypsy Moth: How They Help to Regulate Populations. Gypsy Moth Handbook.

摘要

In the Northeastern United States, the gypsy moth is subject to a variety of naturally occurring diseases of two typesinfectious and noninfectious. Infectious diseases are the most easily recognized and are caused by several kinds of bacteria and fungi as well as a virus specific to the gypsy moth. In dense gypsy moth populations, infectious diseases are spread from one insect to the next by direct contact or through the air. The noninfectious diseases are not as easily recognized. They are not contagious but result from adverse physiological changes in the insect, generally in response to weather conditions, food quality, or hereditary factors.