Simultaneous occurrence of covert infections with small RNA viruses in the lepidopteran Spodoptera exigua

Viral covert infections in invertebrates have been traditionally attributed to sublethal infections that were not able to establish an acute infection. Recent studies are revealing that, although true for some viruses, other viruses may follow the strategy of establishing covert or persistent infections without producing the death of the host. Recently, and due to the revolution in the sequencing technologies, a large number of viruses causing covert infections in all type of hosts have been identified.The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a worldwide pest that causes significant losses to agricultural and ornamental plant industries. In a previous project we used…