Plant Extracts as Ultraviolet Radiation Protectants for the Beet Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Nucleopolyhedrovirus: Screening of Extracts

Sixty-seven plant-derived extracts were tested as ultraviolet (UV) protectants for the nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In the initial laboratory screening experiment, 25 of the 67 extracts provided protection following UVA/UVB irradiation for 30 min. Fifteen of these 25 extracts provided good UV protection when they were subjected to a more severe UV treatment of UVB/UVB irradiation for 30 min. Four of these 15 extracts (kudzu, peppermint, skullcap, and thyme) provided excellent UV protection for SeMNPVwhen they were irradiated with an even more stringent UV regime of UVB/UVB for 300 min. These findings indicate that these plant extracts may be useful UV protectants for the SeNPV and they should be investigated further to obtain more efficacious formulations for the control of agriculturally important insect pests.