Apidologie (2013) 44, 21-28

Maria Augusta P. Lima, Carmen Silvia S. Pires, Raul Narciso C. Guedes and Lucio Antonio O. Campos (2013)
Lack of lethal and sublethal effects of Cry1Ac Bt-toxin on larvae of the stingless bee Trigona spinipes
Apidologie 44 (1), 21-28
Abstract: Stingless bees, particularly Trigona spinipes, are important pollinators in tropical ecosystems and are potentially affected by environmental contaminants. In this study, we tested the possible negative effects on T. spinipes larvae of the ingestion of a diet contaminated with Cry1Ac Bt-toxin. This toxin is expressed in genetically modified cotton plants. A method of rearing stingless bee larvae is described in this paper. The larvae were provided with either pure larval diet, diluted larval diet, or larval diet diluted in a Cry1Ac solution compatible with the lethal pest-exposure level (50 μg/mL). Cry1Ac ingestion did not impair the development of worker larvae, but the diluted diet slightly increased larval mortality. These results indicate that harmful effects on stingless bee larvae due to the ingestion of pollen-expressed Cry1Ac toxin are unlikely under field conditions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Maria Augusta P. Lima, Raul Narciso C. Guedes, Carmen S.S. Pires

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
non-target effects/fate in environm.

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A-toxin (entomopathogen)