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1 October 2007 Response of Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Field Populations to Four Years of Lepidoptera-Specific Bt Corn Production
K. D. Floate, H. A. Cárcamo, R. E. Blackshaw, B. Postman, S. Bourassa
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Abstract

Pitfall traps were used to monitor populations of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in plots of corn grown in continuous cultivation during a 4-yr period (2000–2003). Treatments included transgenic corn expressing a Bt Cry protein with efficacy specific against Lepidoptera (Bt), conventional corn grown with insecticide application (I), and the same conventional cultivar grown without insecticide application (NI). Mixed-model analyses of variance were performed on pitfall captures of beetles combined across weeks to give seasonal sums. Effects of corn treatment were not detected (P > 0.05) on total beetle abundance or species richness in any year. Effects of corn treatment on individual taxa were detected (P < 0.05) for 3 of the 39 species-by-year combinations examined. Effects of near significance (P < 0.08) were detected for an additional two species. In 2001, captures of Amara farcta Leconte and Harpalus amputatus Say were lower in Bt plots than in I or NI plots. In 2003, captures of Amara apricaria (Paykull) and Amara carinata (Leconte) were higher in Bt plots than in I or NI plots. Also in 2003, captures of Poecilus scitulus Leconte were higher in I plots than in Bt or NI plots. These patterns were not repeated among years. Results of this study indicate that cultivation of Lepidoptera-specific Bt corn in southern Alberta does not appreciably affect ground beetle populations.

K. D. Floate, H. A. Cárcamo, R. E. Blackshaw, B. Postman, and S. Bourassa "Response of Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Field Populations to Four Years of Lepidoptera-Specific Bt Corn Production," Environmental Entomology 36(5), 1269-1274, (1 October 2007). https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X(2007)36[1269:ROGBCC]2.0.CO;2
Received: 4 April 2007; Accepted: 30 June 2007; Published: 1 October 2007
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KEYWORDS
agro-ecosystems
bioassay
long term
nontarget effects
transgenic
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