Since we reported a viral disease extremely fatal to A. dichotoma, had landed on Korea in 2015, we have investigated this disease nationwide and it was turned out the viral disease has spread in the majority of the larva-rearing farms all over the country. The transmission of this disease is most severe when the larvae are harvested and stored for overwintering. During this period, even a few virus-infected larvae can easily transmit the virus and about two hundreds of larvae stored in a container can be killed. In a peroral infection experiment, 80% of infected larvae were killed but survived larvae became adults fully functional physiologically. These survived beetles were confirmed as live virus carrier. Also, about 75% of larvae hatched from the eggs laid by the infected beetles were infected and killed by the virus. This vertical transmission is due to the feeding and secretion activity of the infected parents.

• Seokhyun Lee(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Wontae Kim(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Kwan-ho Park(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Myung-Ha Song(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Kyu-won Kwak(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Ji-young Choi(Applied Entomology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)