Editing Biological pest control (section)

====Viruses====
[[Baculoviridae|Baculoviruses]] are specific to individual insect host species and have been shown to be useful in [[Viral biological control|viral biological pest control]]. For example, the [[Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus]] has been used to spray large areas of forest in North America where larvae of the [[Lymantria dispar dispar|spongy moth]] are causing serious defoliation. The moth larvae are killed by the virus they have eaten and die, the disintegrating cadavers leaving virus particles on the foliage to infect other larvae.<ref>{{cite web |author=D'Amico, Vince |url=https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/baculoviruses.php |title=Biological control: Baculoviruses |publisher=Cornell University  |access-date=15 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601063135/http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/baculoviruses.php |archive-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>

A mammalian virus, the [[rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus]] was introduced to Australia to attempt to control the [[European rabbit]] populations there.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Abrantes |first1=Joana |last2=van der Loo |first2=Wessel |last3=Le Pendu |first3=Jacques |last4=Esteves |first4=Pedro J. |title=Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV): a review |journal=Veterinary Research |date=2012 |volume=43 |issue=12 |pages=12 |doi=10.1186/1297-9716-43-12 |pmid=22325049 |pmc=3331820 |doi-access=free }}</ref> It escaped from quarantine and spread across the country, killing large numbers of rabbits. Very young animals survived, passing immunity to their offspring in due course and eventually producing a virus-resistant population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/RCDFactsheet.aspx |format=pdf |title=Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) |last=Strive |first=Tanja |publisher=[[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]] |date=16 July 2008 |access-date=8 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415081441/http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/RCDFactsheet.aspx |archive-date=April 15, 2014 }}</ref> Introduction into New Zealand in the 1990s was similarly successful at first, but a decade later, immunity had developed and populations had returned to pre-RHD levels.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plan for 1080 drops in MacKenzie Basin |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2441711/Mackenzie-1080-drop-plan |last=Williams |first=David |date=26 May 2009 |newspaper=The Press |access-date=8 April 2017}}</ref>
{{further|Rabbits in Australia}}

RNA [[mycovirus]]es are controls of various fungal pathogens.<ref group="M" name="intro-examples-agents" />