Littovir is based on a naturally occurring insecticidal virus that specifically infects and kills larvae of African cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) as well as the Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The unique technology allows efficient and sustainable control of these pests.
Benefits
- Littovir is an effective resistance management tool for the sustainable control of a global key pest with widespread resistance to many active substances.
- SpliNPV, the active ingredient of Littovir, is effective against Spodopera littoralis and Spodopera frugiperda
Pest Information
Spodoptera littoralis is one of the most destructive agricultural lepidopteran pests within its subtropical and tropical range in Africa and the Middle East. The host range covers more than 40 plant families, containing at least 87 species of economic importance. Spodoptera littoralis larvae prefer feeding on young leaves. They may also feed on young shoots, stalks, bolls, buds, and fruits, often gnawing holes which allow diseases to enter the plant tissue.
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a very destructive agricultural lepidopteran pest within its subtropical and tropical range in Africa and South America. Furthermore it is an important pest of grasslands in North America. The insect has invaded Africa in 2016 and has since spread throughout all of Sub-Sahara Africa, wreaking havoc wherever it showed up. The pest can feed on plants of many different species in different families, and shows a preference for Poaceae, to which many economically important crops belong. When feeding on maize, eggs are often deposited within the whorl of young maize plants.
