using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) primers were applied not only to several type and reference strains of both subspecies but also to a collection of field strains isolated from AFB diseased colonies in Germany, Sweden, and Finland (Genersch et al., 2006). The results obtained confirmed and extended the high level of similarity and did not support the identity of the presumed P. l. pulvifaciens reference strain as a separate subspecies. Finally, exposure bioassays demonstrated that all strains irrespective of their affiliation to either subspecies were pathogenic for larvae (Tab. I). Infected larvae died showing symptoms of AFB and larval remains were degraded to the characteristic ropy mass. Hence, the strongest argument for the two different subspecies