Consumption of Bt Maize Pollen Expressing Cry1Ab or Cry3Bb1 Does Not Harm Adult Green Lacewings, Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Abstract

Adults of the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), are prevalent pollen-consumers in maize fields. They are therefore exposed to insecticidal proteins expressed in the pollen of insect-resistant, genetically engineered maize varieties expressing Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of Cry3Bb1 or Cry1Ab-expressing transgenic maize (MON 88017, Event Bt176) pollen on fitness parameters of adult C. carnea. Adults were fed pollen from Bt maize varieties or their corresponding near isolines together with sucrose solution for 28 days. Survival, pre-oviposition period, fecundity, fertility and dry weight were not different between Bt or non-Bt maize pollen treatments. In order to ensure that adults of C. carnea are not sensitive to the tested toxins independent from the plant background and to add certainty to the hazard assessment, adult C. carnea were fed with artificial diet containing purified Cry3Bb1 or Cry1Ab at about a 10 times higher concentration than in maize pollen. Artificial diet containing Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) was included as a positive control. No differences were found in any life-table parameter between Cry protein containing diet treatments and control diet. However, the pre-oviposition period, daily and total fecundity and dry weight of C. carnea were significantly negatively affected by GNA-feeding. In both feeding assays, the stability and bioactivity of Cry proteins in the food sources as well as the uptake by C. carnea was confirmed. These results show that adults of C. carnea are not affected by Bt maize pollen and are not sensitive to Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 at concentrations exceeding the levels in pollen. Consequently, Bt maize pollen consumption will pose a negligible risk to adult C. carnea.

Susceptibility of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae when Feeding on Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Bb1-Expressing Maize

“…We selected silk and leaves for the present study because they contain ca. 15 times higher concentrations of Cry3Bb1 than, e.g., pollen (24,32).…”

Ecological compatibility of GM crops and biological control

“…Experimental assessments of the compatibility of GM crops on biological control agents 3.1. Effects of non-prey foods derived from insect-resistant crops Laboratory feeding assays indicate that pollen, vegetative tissues, and seeds from commercialized Bt events do not affect natural enemies in the laboratory (Pilcher et al, 1997;Armer et al, 2000;Lundgren and Wiedenmann, 2002;Geng et al, 2006;Mullin et al, 2005;Ludy and Lang, 2006b;Obrist et al, 2006b;Torres et al, 2006;Li et al, 2008) and there have been no consistent direct deleterious effects of Bt crops on field populations of predators (see below for a discussion on primary parasitoids in Bt crops). Other insecticidal compounds expressed by not-yet-commercialized GM plants, such as those expressing snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis L. agglutinin; GNA) appear to be more deleterious to natural enemies.…”

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“…Even though chronic effects cannot be completely ruled out, the GMO Panel emphasizes that the continuous exposure of C. carnea to diets exclusively based on lepidopteran larvae is unlikely under field conditions (Canard, 2001;Dutton et al, 2003). In addition, Li et al (2008) demonstrated that adults of C. carnea are not affected by Bt-maize pollen and are not sensitive to the Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 proteins at concentrations exceeding those observed in pollen of Bt-maize.…”