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[Display omitted] • AnpeNPV-IAP1 mainly localizes to the nuclear ring zone and exhibits dynamic distribution in the cytoplasm and the VS. • AnpeNPV-IAP1 is not essential for viral DNA replication or BV infection. • AnpeNPV-IAP1 is involved in regulating viral gene expression and required for normal OB formation and production. Inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (IAP1) of Antheraea pernyi multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AnpeNPV) belongs to the baculovirus IAP1 type. The function of AnpeNPV-IAP1 in viral replication and occlusion body (OB) production remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that AnpeNPV- iap1 is a late gene. AnpeNPV-IAP1 mainly localizes to the nuclear ring zone and exhibits dynamic distribution in the cytoplasm and the virogenic stroma during AnpeNPV infection. AnpeNPV-IAP1 impacted the expression of a variety of viral genes at the very late phase of infection in Tn-Hi5 cells. The deletion of AnpeNPV- iap1 caused decreased expression levels of polyhedrin, morphological changes to OBs and reduced OB production in A. pernyi pupae, along with a lengthening of the lethal time of A. pernyi larvae. These results suggest that AnpeNPV- iap1 is involved in regulating viral gene expression, OB production and morphogenesis in A. pernyi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]