Screening criteria leading to the testing of the effects of Clostridium putrefariens (McBryde) on the European corn borer

The use of Clostridium species as possible pathogens of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) was arrived at by using screening criteria derived from studying the environment of the insect mid-gut and correlating these criteria to known physiological factors of bacteria. European corn borer larvae were treated by placing one drop of bacterial suspension on a corn borer egg mass. The newly-hatched larvae were then transferred to sterile, individual vials with synthetic food medium and observed daily. Clostridium putrefaciens (McBryde) treated larvae showed a significant reduction in hatching, slowed growth rate and a mortality of 50%.Thesis (M.S.