Movement behavior of mid-development European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) larvae on Bt corn using plant specific genetic markers

The movement behavior of third instar European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, was recorded from May 2011 to August 2011. Larvae were reared from egg in growth chambers prior to reaching third instar. Five third instar larvae were placed on field corn treatments which included combinations of Bt corn plants with different Cry proteins and near isoline corn plants. Larvae fed on corn plants or moved to adjacent corn plants for further feeding. After three days plants were dissected and any retrieved larvae were frozen for quantitative PCR analysis on gut content. Release of third instar larvae occurred twice during the field season, once during V9 vegetative growth stage and at R3 reproductive stage of corn, to quantify differences in movement and feeding behavior between first and second generation larvae.