Indian meal moth granulosis virus (IMMGV) is a naturally occurring insect virus. It belongs to the granulosis virus subdivision within the bacculovirus family. This family includes both insect granulosis viruses and insect polyhedrosis viruses.

Granulosis viruses are very host specific and IMMGV is no exception. All known granulosis viruses only infect lepidopteran (i.e., butterfly or moth) larva. To date, the only known host for IMMGV is the larva of the Indian meal moth. Larva of other moths which have been evaluated are not affected.

The particular strain of IMMGV which is used in AgriVir's product  NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V was originally isolated by USDA from infected Indian meal moth larvae. The method for producing stable formulations of this strain which have a commercially useful potency against Indian meal moth larvae was patented by USDA (US Patent No. 5,023,182)¹ . USDA has granted an exclusive license for this patent to AgriVir, LLC.

¹This patent broadly covers live larval culture production of granulosis viruses in general

\ Indian Meal Moth Control   Lock Out Indian Meal Moth with NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V A single application of AgriVir's NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V locks out Indian Meal Moth for months. Tests show protection for as much as two years.  NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V works by putting a protective screen of Indian meal moth granulosis virus (IMMGV) around your product. When Indian meal moth eggs hatch, the new larva start to feed immediately and consume the IMMGV which is on the product. They quickly become ill and die. All this happens well before they are big enough to be seen readily or to do any significant damage to your product. Protect Your Premises Too! AgriVir's IMMGV can also be applied as a crack and crevice treatment to wipe out Indian meal moth breeding grounds in processing facilities, warehouses, and retail outlets for any type of stored product or commodity susceptible to Indian meal moth. Apply it under equipment and fixtures where product debris gathers in hard to clean areas. Use it on processing debris. Indian Meal Moth Granulosis Virus: What Is It? Indian meal moth granulosis virus (IMMGV) is a naturally occurring insect virus. It belongs to the bacculovirus family of insect viruses. The bacculoviruses have been used for biological control and studied for many years. IMMGV is very pest specific and affects only Indian meal moth larva. The larva of even very closely related moths are not affected by IMMGV. In fact, all known granulosis viruses only affect lepidopteran larva. To date, there is no known case of a granulosis virus infecting or producing disease in humans, domestic animals, pets, birds, or fish. AgriVir's product is a stable, easily applied formulation of an IMMGV strain originally isolated by USDA and is covered under US Patent No. 5,023,182, issued to USDA. AgriVir produces and sell IMMGV under an exclusive license from USDA. Preparation, Composition, Potency Specification and Packaging: AgriVir's IMMGV product is a dried, milled mixture of wheat bran (over 85%), dry brewer's yeast, vitamins, and broken up IMMGV infected, killed Indian meal moth larva. The product is provided as a water suspendable powder and passes through an 80-mesh sieve. Packaging is 10 Kg (22 lbs) in a plastic bag inside a fiber drum. A measuring scoop is enclosed. Uses: Dried fruits (raisins, currants, prunes, dates, figs, and other dried fruits) In-Shell and Shelled Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, other tree nuts, peanuts) Protects the above commodities during storage either in bins / crates in bulk or in their wholesale or retail packaging. Treatment is done as the commodity is being delivered into the relevant container (bin, crate, box, bags, packages, etc.). Crack and crevice treatment of processing, packaging, and storage areas. Controls Indian meal moth infestation of processing, packaging, transportation, storage, or wholesale / retail facilities handling stored dry products. In such facilities product debris which accumulates under or behind fixtures and equipment or in floor / wall cracks and crevices serves as a breeding reservoir for Indian meal moth. Application of IMMGV into these breeding areas leads to control. Application Rates and Methods: Dried fruits and nuts: 1 - 5 oz per ton. Crack and crevice treatment: 2 - 10 oz per 100 square feet being treated. Apply as a water suspension using low pressure spray equipment. Be sure to get as even a coverage as possible. Now You Can Go to War Against Indian Meal Moth - - and Win!

 

Indian Meal Moth Control with NutGuard - V /  FruitGuard - V EPA Reg. No. 73176-1 (INDIAN MEAL MOTH GRANULOSIS VIRUS)   General Product Information and Technical Bulletin   April 2002       Indian Meal Moth Granulosis Virus: Indian meal moth granulosis virus (IMMGV) is a naturally occurring insect virus. It belongs to the granulosis virus subdivision within the bacculovirus family. This family includes both insect granulosis viruses and insect polyhedrosis viruses. Granulosis viruses are very host specific and IMMGV is no exception. All known granulosis viruses only infect lepidopteran (i.e., butterfly or moth) larva. To date, the only known host for IMMGV is the larva of the Indian meal moth. Larva of other moths which have been evaluated are not affected. The particular strain of IMMGV which is used in AgriVir's product  NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V was originally isolated by USDA from infected Indian meal moth larvae. The method for producing stable formulations of this strain which have a commercially useful potency against Indian meal moth larvae was patented by USDA (US Patent No. 5,023,182)1 . USDA has granted an exclusive license for this patent to AgriVir, LLC. 1This patent broadly covers live larval culture production of granulosis viruses in general. Product Preparation, Composition, Potency Specification and Packaging: AgriVir's IMMGV product is prepared by growing Indian meal moth larvae on a wheat bran based diet which contains appropriate larval nutrients and vitamins. Indian meal moth eggs are added to the diet and allowed to hatch and develop into larvae. After about 10 days these larvae (which are still too small to easily be seen by the unaided eye) are infected with IMMGV. The infection is then allowed to develop for another short period of time. After this, the entire mix of diet plus infected larvae is homogenized, dried, and powdered to pass an 80-mesh sieve. This is the finished product which after QC inspections is packaged, labeled, and shipped. AgriVir's IMMGV containing product consists of: approximately 9.35% Indian meal moth granulosis virus infected Indian meal moth larval parts, approximately 85.9% milled wheat bran carrier, and approximately 4.75% other inert ingredients (largely dry, inactive brewer's yeast). The product is required to exhibit a minimum potency (as an LC50) of 0.26 micrograms product per gram standard bioassay diet. The LC50 is the concentration of product (as micrograms / gram diet) which kills 50% of the larvae seeded into the bioassay diet. The product is a light to medium brown powder and is packaged inside a plastic bag which is itself contained in a fiber drum. The standard package net weight is 10 Kg (22 lbs.).    Uses: Uses which are currently registered under FIFRA by U.S. EPA include - Dried fruits (raisins, currants, prunes, dates, figs, and other dried fruits) This use is for protection of the stated commodities during storage either in bins / crates at a processing facility or at the time they are packaged into their wholesale or retail packaging. As described in more detail below, IMMGV is applied as the commodity is being delivered into the relevant container (bin, crate, box, etc.). In-Shell and Shelled Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, other tree nuts, peanuts) This use is for protection of the stated commodities during storage either in bins / crates at a processing facility or at the time they are packaged into their wholesale or retail packaging. As described in more detail below, IMMGV is applied as the commodity is being delivered into the relevant container (bin, crate, box, etc.). Crack and crevice treatment of processing, packaging, and storage areas This use is for control of Indian meal moth infestation of a processing, packaging or storage facility handling dried fruits, nuts, or any other stored / dry products susceptible to Indian meal moth infestation and damage. In such facilities product debris which accumulates under or behind fixtures and equipment or in floor / wall cracks and crevices serves as a breeding reservoir for Indian meal moth. Approval for additional uses (such as on stored grains, seeds, and dry pet foods) is being sought from U.S. EPA and relevant state authorities. Label Application Rates: For dried fruits and nuts the label application rate is 1 - 5 oz per ton of commodity. This corresponds to a 100-fold to 500-fold multiple of the required minimum LC50 potency and covers, also, the range of application rates which have been found to be effective (see immediately below). For crack and crevice treatment of processing, packaging, and storage facilities the label application rate is 2 - 10 oz per 100 square feet being treated. This is based on providing for sufficient product load to assure an effective opportunity for larvae to consume the product shortly after hatching from eggs laid on product debris in the facility. General Performance Information: Almonds, Walnuts, and other Nuts - Study: Vail and Tebbets (in-shell almonds, in-shell walnuts) Rate: 0.9 oz/ton (in-shell walnuts) 1.8 oz/ton (in-shell almonds) Control: 95%+ larval kill Damage down to 2.6% (from 97%) for nutmeats Damage down to 1.4% (from 61%) for unhulled nuts Application: Dilute water spray of suspended IMMGV product Residual action: Up to 110 weeks under normal storage conditions for these types of nuts: 95% larval kill at time of application, 90% kill at 50 weeks post-application, 80% kill at 110 weeks post-application (post- application kill by challenge with fresh Indian meal moth eggs). Study: Hunter et al. (in-shell almonds, in-shell walnuts) Rate(s):  2.6 to 8 oz per ton of inshell nuts Control:  Commercial level control obtained at all rates Application:  Dilute water spray of suspended IMMGV product  Residual action:  At least 134 days under standard storage conditions for in-shell nuts. Study: Cowan et al. (almond meats, in-shell almonds) Rate: 0.2 oz/ton Control: 100% larval kill on nutmeats  Damage down to 2.6% (from 97%) for nutmeats  Damage down to 1.4% (from 61%) for unhulled nuts Application: Dilute water spray of suspended IMMGV product  Residual action: Not determined Raisins and other Dried Fruits - Study: Cowan et al. (processed and unprocessed raisins) Rate: 0.2 oz/ton Control: Damage down to 0.1% (from 99%) for processed  Damage down to 0.2% (from 99%) for unprocessed  Application: Dilute water spray of suspended IMMGV product Residual action: Not determined Study: Vail and Tebbets (processed raisins) Rate:  3.2 oz/ton and up Control:  99.5% to 100% larval kill Application:  Dilute water spray of suspended IMMGV product  Residual action: Not determined Method of Application: AgriVir's products are supplied as a wettable powders which can be suspended in water to provide a sprayable suspension of product. The mixing rates are from 2 - 10 oz product per each 10 gal water for dried fruits and nuts and from 6 - 30 oz product for each 10 gal water for facility area treatment. Stirring or agitation should be used as to completely disperse the product in the suspending water. Dried Fruits and Nuts Application to dried fruits or to nuts should be while the commodity is being binned or crated (bulk commodity) or while it is passing on the packing line conveyor, prior to its being packaged in wholesale or retail packaging. The product suspension can be applied with any type of low pressure spray equipment which provides a fan-shaped, coarse spray. A relatively uniform coverage of the commodity is desirable. The spray rate should be approximately 2 gallons per each 1000 lbs of commodity to be treated (i.e., approximately 1.67% product suspension/ commodity weight). At a suspension rate of 2 - 10 oz per gallon of water this spray rate is equivalent to a treatment rate of 1 - 5 oz product per long ton (2240 lbs). As an alternative method of application, the product powder itself may be used as a top dressing in bulk bins, provided it is well mixed with at least the top 18 inches of commodity and at the same 1 - 5 oz per ton rates. This can be done by shaker bar or other powder application method as the bin begins to become near full. Facility Treatment The product suspension should be sprayed, using a directed spray stream (i.e., not a wide spray), along floor / wall joints, corners, cracks, crevices, and under and behind areas to be protected (i.e., under / behind fixtures and equipment, etc.) so that the area being treated becomes just visibly wet. This will provide for a treatment rate of approximately 2 - 10 oz product per 100 square feet based on a 6 inch spray swath width. After treatment allow the product application to dry. The product applied to the treated commodities is not expected, on the basis of experience, to be readily visible in or on the product. This can be sensed intuitively since the application rate puts not more than 1 to 5 ounces of product onto each ton of commodity. Status under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA): NutGuard-V / FruitGuard-V is registered as a microbial pest control product under FIFRA by U.S. EPA. The date of initial registration was December 21, 2001. This was the first ever registration of an Indian Meal Moth Granulosis Virus (IMMGV) product under FIFRA. An unconditional registration [3(c)(5)] was granted. Indian Meal Moth Granulosis Virus (IMMGV) has been exempted from the requirements for a tolerance under FFDCA as amended by FQPA [67 FR 1102 - 1107, January 9, 2002] Per U.S. FDA, foods treated with IMMGV for Indian meal moth control are not required to carry any form of labeling identifying the food as having been treated with IMMGV. Our product is currently registered in the states of Alabama, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. AgriVir is committed to strong customer support and will seek registration in other states depending on product demand. Normally, most state registration approvals can be obtained within three to four weeks of application. Product Health and Environmental Safety Summary: Disclaimer: The following information has been edited by AgriVir from information which was provided by AgriVir to US EPA as part of the FQPA summary required pursuant to FQPA at the time of application for an exemption from tolerance. After editing by US EPA this FQPA summary appeared in the Federal Register. In providing the information below, AgriVir, LLC makes no implied general claim of safety or of endorsement of this product by the U.S. government. Where a "NOTE", underlined and italicized is provide below this denotes information or comment which was not included in the original FQPA summary provided to US EPA. IMMGV has no hosts other than larvae of the Indian meal moth and acts by making the Indian meal moth larvae sick, rather than by a toxic mechanism (i.e., IMMGV does not produce any specific toxin which kills the larvae). Indian meal moth larvae succumb to granulosis disease due to serious damage to one of their major organs for storage of nutrients. The mode of action for IMMGV in its host, the larval stage of P. interpunctella, is pathogenic in nature. IMMGV produces granulosis disease in the larvae of P. interpunctella. "Granulosis" disease is so named because cells in infected tissue sections, when observed under light microscopy, are full of minute, refractile bodies termed "granules". The initial signs of granulosis disease occur several days after larval ingestion of the viral occlusion bodies and consist of sluggishness and loss of appetite. These initial signs are followed by a change in the appearance of the larvae. They are normally light brown and semilucent but when infected become opaque and white. This change is the result of the massive accumulation of viral occlusion bodies in the fat body of the infected larva. The fat body is the site of intermediary metabolism in these larvae and it is in the fat body that fat, protein, and glycogen are primarily stored. The pathogenicity of IMMGV to the larva results from the mode of viral release from cells of the fat body. As discussed above, this occurs by rupture of the cells of the fat body, thereby leading to degeneration and necrosis of the fat body and, ultimately, death of the infected larva. The above-cited mode of action is distinct from a toxicity based mode of action. That is, unlike some microbial pest control agents which produce endo- or exo-toxins which act to kill the target pest, IMMGV produces no toxins as part of its mode of action. There is no bacculovirus (the type of virus which IMMGV is) which is known to infect or replicate in any vertebrate host. Among invertebrates, IMMGV itself has no known host other than larvae of P. interpunctella and has been shown not to cross-infect lepidopteran or other insects other than P. interpunctella. A number of studies on the toxicity of baculoviruses, inclusive of granulosis viruses, to animals have shown that by oral, dermal, inhalation, and injection routes of exposure the tested granulosis viruses produced no effects on overall health, gross or micro pathology, hematology, clinical chemistry, and antibody stimulation in the test animals. These studies have been published in the open literature. [Note: AgriVir itself sponsored a study in rats by oral administration of its IMMGV product. This study, which was submitted to US EPA and CDPR, did not show observable toxic effects in the test animals.] Cell culture studies (sponsored by AgriVir) have shown that IMMGV which is actively infective and pathogenic to IMM larva does not produce cytotoxicity nor does it replicate in or produce pathogenicity in the following mammalian cell lines: WI-38 (ATTC CCL 75: human lung [embryonic]) WS1 (ATTC CRL 1502: human endothelium  [embryonic skin]) CV-1 (ATTC CCL 70: African green monkey, renal) Due to the physical properties of the final product and of the bran carrier, the technical MPCA does have a mild to moderate, reversible eye irritation potential. [Note: See label precautionary statements in this regard.] The only reasonably anticipated potential environmental effect of IMMGV is on the population of Indian meal moths. This is because, as discussed above, IMMGV has no hosts other than larvae of the Indian meal moth and acts by a pathogenicity mechanism rather than a toxicity mechanism (i.e., IMMGV does not produce any specific toxin). Since IMMGV is a naturally occurring virus which has infected Indian meal moth larvae for decades and probably longer, its use on Indian meal moth larvae which may infest dried fruits and nuts and other stored commodities cannot reasonably be expected to endanger the Indian meal moth population as a whole. Therefore, there are no reasonably anticipated adverse environmental effects of use of IMMGV for protection of agricultural commodities from Indian meal moth damage. Comparative Characteristics and Economics of IMMGV vs. Other Agents: Methyl bromide  Requires multiple treatments to control re-infestations due to lack of any residual activity. Commonly, 2 - 4 treatments per batch of commodity are used. Significant worker safety, material handling, and environmental issues and controls $6.00 per ton per treatment2 $12 - $24 per ton for full control cycle     Phostoxin Requires multiple treatments to control re-infestations due to lack of any residual activity. Commonly, 2 - 4 treatments per batch of commodity are used. Significant worker safety and material handling issues and controls $7.00 per ton per treatment  $14 - $28 per ton for full control cycle     IMMGV Single treatment sufficient for long term protection due to residual activity. No significant worker safety, material handling, or environmental issues or controls other than adherence to label directions for use and for storage and disposal $20.52 per ton at mid-point of label application rate range (2.5 oz per ton) for full cycle control. $8.21 per ton - $41 per ton ( 1 oz rate to 5 oz rate) for full control cycle. 2Fully loaded estimated costs inclusive of chemical costs, emission controls, worker safety equipment, and hazardous waste disposal. Product Utilization Rate Chart: The information below is provided as guidance in evaluating potential applications. It is based on AgriVir's standard 10 Kg (22 lb) drum packaging.   Drums Needed to Treat (rounded to the nearest whole drum) Use Type / Amount  Low Rate Mid Rate  High Rate Dried fruits & nuts 1 oz / ton  2.5 oz / ton   5 oz / ton 1,000 tons 3 drums 7 drums 14 drums  2,500 tons 7 drums 18 drums  36 drums  5,000 tons 14 drums 36 drums 71 drums 10,000 tons 28 drums 71 drums 142 drums 25,000 tons 71 drums 142 drums 355 drums   Facility Treatment*  2 oz / 100 sq.ft. 6 oz / 100 sq.ft. 10 oz / 100 sq.ft. 25,000 sq. feet 1.5 drum  5 drums 7 drums 50,000 sq. feet  3 drums 9 drums 14 drums  100,000 sq. feet 6 drums 17 drums 28 drums 200,000 sq. feet  12 drums 34 drums 57 drums