A new cypovirus from the Japanese peppered moth, Biston robustus

A cypovirus was isolated from larvae of the Japanese peppered moth, Biston robustus. The viral genome is 23,954 bp comprising 10 segmented double-stranded RNAs with a new electropherotype among cypoviruses. Each segment encodes one putative protein and has non-coding regions that contain conserved sequences at their 5' and 3' termini, 5'-AGAA(U/A)U-3' and 5'-UGC-3', respectively. Seven proteins encoded in the genome are homologous to those of other cypoviruses at a cut-off E-value of 1 × 10^-5. The maximal sequence identities of these proteins with cypovirus homologs are 24.30%-39.40%. These results indicate that the virus isolated is a novel cypovirus; herein designated as Biston robustus cypovirus 24 (BrCPV-24). This newly isolated BrCPV-24 infects the larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori.