Helicoverpa species constitute the most important group of crop pests throughout the world, and scientists have been pursuing the development of biocontrol agents effective for the control of these pests. A virus, the gonad specific virus (GSV), has been found which serves this purpose by infecting Helicoverpa species and generally rendering the insects sterile. Those insects which do not become sterile on infection act as carriers of the virus, spreading it among the insect population and producing infected progeny.
