Mortality statistics after infection with BmNPV <i>per os</i> using third instar larvae.

<p>Six silkworm lines, i.e., EKG, HEKG-A, HEKG-B, EAG, HEAG, and 932, were infected orally with 3 × 10⁵ OB/larva using newly exuviated third instar larvae. The same quantity of OBs was applied to pieces of fresh mulberry leaves with a 1 cm diameter. Larvae that consumed an entire piece of leaf treated with OBs were selected for the subsequent rearing. The mortality of each line was the average of triplicate infection replicates. Each replicate consisted of 70 larvae. Mortality statistics were analyzed daily from the time of infection until 10 dpi. The accumulative mortality up to 10 dpi is shown for each line. 932(C) is the non-infected control. Bars represent the standard deviations. Statistically significant differences: * <i>P</i><0.05, ** <i>P</i><0.01.