Abstract
Btmaize targeting Lepidopteran pests poses potential risks for non-target (NT) butterflies and moths which are addressed in the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified crop plants. For this purpose, eco-toxicological tests are often conducted with specific NT species in the laboratory in order to assess possible adverse effects. As only a limited number of surrogate species can be addressed, the choice of focal species to be tested is an important decision. However, practical and standardised selection procedures have hardly been developed and applied for NTLepidoptera, so far. Here, we present a transparent and systematic selection process of suitable test species for Germany, involving selection criteria such as exposure toBtmaize, habitat range and laboratory maintenance of the species. As a result, we compiled a list of 15 lepidopteran species particularly appropriate for testing the adverse effects ofBtmaize in the laboratory. In addition, we collected and reviewed published reports for breeding methods of Lepidoptera, which provides essential information on maintaining lab stocks of NTLepidoptera. The presented selection procedure allows focusing on the relevant test species in a transparent and reproducible way, and supplies the breeding knowledge required to breed and maintain them, which will be of great utility for the future assessment on possible risks ofBtmaize cultivation to non-target Lepidoptera.
Highlights
Transgenic maize is one of the major genetically modified (GM) crops cultivated today (ISAAA 2019)
In view of the thousands of lepidopteran species in Europe it is indispensable to focus on only a limited range of species for the assessment of adverse effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize on lepidopteran larvae
Our stepwise selection procedure provides a systematic, transparent and generic approach to create a representative list of NT Lepidoptera for Bt maize testing
Summary
Transgenic maize is one of the major genetically modified (GM) crops cultivated today (ISAAA 2019). The cultivation of Bt maize events targeting lepidopteran pests induces potential risks for non-target (NT) butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Lepidopteran larvae may ingest insecticidal Bt proteins when their larval host plants are dusted by wind-dispersed pollen of Bt maize, causing additional mortality and/or sublethal adverse effects among larvae (e.g., Zangerl et al 2001; Dively et al 2004; Lang and Vojtech 2006; Schuppener et al 2012). The potential risk that certain Bt maize events pose to non-target Lepidoptera is subject to a mandatory pre-release environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM crops prior to placing on the marked (EC 2001, 2018). For insect-resistant plants, the testing of non-target organisms (NTO) within the ERA follows an eco-toxicological approach, typically used for testing harmful pesticides and strongly focussing on controlled laboratory tests under standardised conditions (Hilbeck et al 2008; Lang et al 2019)
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