Evaluation of non-target effects of Bt corn pollen on growth and survival golden tortoise beetles Charidotella sexpunctata bicolor (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Modern technology has led to the design of Bt corn, a transgenic corn that has been genetically engineered to target and kill specific insects. Monsanto Company has genetically modified the cry3Bb1 gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis kumamotoensis to express a cry3Bb1 protein in corn. This cry3Bb1 protein, a variant of the wild-type protein, is selectively toxic to some species of Coleoptera, including the corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera and Diabrotica beriberi), members of the chyrsomelidae family. Corn plants release a very large amount of pollen during a short period of time falling between late July and early August. The pollen will virtually coat every plant in and around a corn field. Morning glories are a known pest of crops including corn. The vines of the morning glories utilize the stalks of the corn as a support. As a result, specialist tortoise beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) that feed exclusively on morning glories are also found living in and around corn fields. This study examined whether pollen from Bt cry3Bb1 corn had an affect on the growth rate of the Golden Tortoise (Charidotella sexpunctata bicolor) larvae, on the mortality rate of the larvae and adults, and on the fecundity of the adults.