Abstract
The potential negative effects of transgenic Bt corn on the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, requires quantification of the presence of D. plexippus in the field and of the effect of Bt corn tissues on oviposition and larval survival. During a 2-year field study, D. plexippus females laid similar number of eggs on Asclepias syriaca in corn fields and on A. syriaca growing in roadside habitats parallel to corn fields. In 1999 and 2000 similar number of D. plexippus larvae were observed on A. syriaca in corn fields and roadside habitats, whereas a greater proportion of A. syriaca in corn fields were infested by at least one D. plexippus larva in 2000. Similar number of eggs were laid in transgenic Bt and non-Bt corn fields, indicating that females did not avoid leaves dusted with anthers and 6–72 Bt pollen grains/cm 2. Similar number of D. plexippus larvae were found in and near Bt corn fields compared to non-Bt corn fields following corn anthesis. In 2000, transgenic Event MON810 Bt corn pollen and anthers had no measurable effects on D. plexippus oviposition or larval survival.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
