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Effect of Bt maize on the plant-aphid–parasitoid tritrophic relationships

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Abstract

The effect of Bt maize on aphid parasitism and the aphid–parasitoid complex was measured in field conditions on three transgenic varieties, two derived from Event MON810 and one from Bt176, and their near-isogenics in a two-year study. No differences in aphid abundance were found between Bt maize varieties and their near-isogenics. Differences within Bt and within near-isogenic varieties were found, but only in one year. Differences in aphid abundance were probably better accounted for the variety background and year conditions than by the transgenesis or Event. Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), Lipolexis gracilis Förster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) and Aphelinus sp. (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) were the prevalent parasitoids. Bt maize did not alter the aphid–parasitoid associations and had no effect on the aphid parasitism and hyperparasitism rates. The results suggest that Bt maize has no negative impact on second, third and fourth levels of the trophic relationships studied.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, research Project AGL2002-0204 of the National Plan of RDI. Belén Lumbierres received a FPU fellowship/AP2002-(4104) from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Petr Starý was partially supported by the Entomology Institute Project AV0750070508 (Academy of Sciences of the Czech republic). We thank Ignacio Romagosa from the University of Lleida for statistical assistance, Ramon Albajes and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Centre UdL-IRTA, Universitat de Lleida, Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Belén Lumbierres & Xavier Pons

  2. Biology Center, AS CR. Institute of Entomology, Branisovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Petr Starý

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  1. Belén Lumbierres
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Correspondence to Xavier Pons.

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Lumbierres, B., Starý, P. & Pons, X. Effect of Bt maize on the plant-aphid–parasitoid tritrophic relationships. BioControl 56, 133–143 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-010-9317-7

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