Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, (India).
1Present address: Department of Entomology, 219 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota-55108, U.S.A.
The phenoloxidase system appeared to have an important role in supplementing the gut barrier in Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) by retarding secondary NPV infection (by the virions that manage to gain entry) in the haemolymph. The cellular haemoloymph fraction had a high level of phenoloxidase activity, which was probably transferred to the plasma in response to NPV infection in the later stages.
