Cry protein Persistence in 3rd instar European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, Midguts

The European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), is a major lepidopteran pest of maize in the United States and Canada. One of the most effective control methods for ECB is the use of transgenic crops that encode for insecticidal crystalline (Cry) proteins that are derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The continued effective use of Bt corn relies on compliance with insect resistance management practices; where planting a small percentage of non-Bt refuge corn adjacent to or as seed blends within Bt corn fields provides a population of susceptible insects that can mate with rare resistant individuals. The objective of my studies was to determine the presence and persistence of three different Bt Cry proteins in third instars using monoclonal ELISA test strips.