Assessment of movement behavior of third instar European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, on Bt corn

European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) is a major economic pest of Zea mays L. The introduction of transgenic Bt corn has led to a significant decrease in the damage and control costs associated with European corn borer. With wide adoption rates of Bt corn, concerns that resistance will evolve to Bt corn traits. In attempts to better predict and implement resistance management strategies investigators need to understand the movement behaviors of European corn borer larvae, specifically during the third instar growth stage in which larvae begin to bore into corn stalks causing physiological damage to corn plants. In my experiment third instar ECB larvae were infested on an array of treatments designed to represent a seed mix refuge strategy. Larvae were allowed to move and fed freely for 72 hours. After 72 hours larvae were recaptured and third instar larval movement was accessed.