Assessment of the non-target effects of transgenic Bt corn pollen and anthers on the milkweed tiger moth, Euchatias egle Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

Many non-target lepidopteran species are potentially at risk from transgenic corn tissues (i.e., pollen and anthers) expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner derived toxin, however. risk assessment data is currently lacking for most species. A laboratory experiment examining the effect of transgenic Bt corn tissue on Euchatias egle Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) showed no larval mortality following a 48-hour exposure to Bt corn tissues on its food source. Asclepias syriaca (Asclepiadacea). Two Bt corn events were used: 176, which expressed 1.60 μg Bt/g of pollen and anther tissue: and Bt11, which expressed 0.39 μg Bt/g pollen and anther tissue. One of 15 larvae exposed to non-Bt corn tissue died compared to no mortality of the larvae exposed to either Bt11 or 176 Bt corn tissues. Based on these results it appears that E. egle will not be adversely affected by the wide-scale planting of Bt corn.