Larval mortality and development of Pseudoplusia includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) reared on a transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis-cotton cultivar expressing CryIAc insecticidal protein.

The effects of a transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-cotton cultivar (DPL 32) on three instars of the soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), were determined in laboratory studies. First, third, and fifth instars were fed field collected Bt-cotton leaves for 1, 2, four and 7 d or until pupation, and then transferred to artificial diet. Mortality during the larval stage increased linearly in response to an increase in the length of feeding time on Bt-cotton by first and third instars. The maximum mortality of about two out of three larvae occurred for first instars fed on Bt-cotton until pupation. For the fifth instar, there was no significant response to feeding time; however, most of these larvae reached pupation before 4 d of feeding on Bt-cotton. The length of the larval developmental period also increased linearly with an increase in feeding time on Bt-cotton in first and third instars; again, there was no significant response in the fifth instars. For both mortality and larval developmental time, the linear trend lines for the first and third instars were quite similar. Pupal weight declined linearly in the first and fifth instars in response to feeding time on Bt-cotton. Although pupal weight also declined for third instars, the response was not linear. The effect of Bt-cotton appears not to extend past pupation in that there were no significant responses in mortality and developmental time of pupae during the pupal stage. These data indicate that larvae surviving Bt-cotton are adversely affected in several ways, which should be considered in evaluating Bt-cotton suppression of soybean looper infestations.