Tea-Tortrix and Baculovirus.

The Tea Tortrix, an important agricultural pest for tea plantations, has some pretty metal natural enemies. Beside the parasitoid wasps which lay their eggs in the moth larvae, there is the baculovirus that is the scourge of the Lepidopteran world. This double stranded DNA virus has been an important specimen (perhaps favorite) for many molecular biologists particularly because how brutal and effective these viruses are when it comes to utilizing their hosts.

NPR did a report on the baculovirus and gypsy moth where they found that the gene "egt" is responsible for altering the physiology and behavior of the gypsy moth. Gypsy moths usually eat at night, climbing to the top part of the tree to eat the leaves. However, the baculovirus alters the larvae's behaviors forcing the infected larvae to stay in the top part of the trees. The virus multiplies in its host and with the help of some enzymes that eats away at the exoskeleton, the larvae literally become liquefied. The high vantage point is crucial in allowing the millions of the viral particles to fall on the leaves below where other unlucky larvae could get infected by eating these tainted leaves.

Now my rambling aside, why is my blog titled  baculovirus and Tea Tortrix?

Interestingly, the baculovirus has been known as "the Wilt" and surprisingly it "may be responsible ofr kiling considerably more than half the population".

(Source: C.B Redman King, 1937)

Now the question I'm seeking to answer is:

How will increasing global temperature affect the baculovirus? In turn how will it affect the Tea Tortirx population? 

I need more coffee.