Pollen from Cry1Ac/CpTI-transgenic cotton does not affect the pollinating beetle Haptoncus luteolus

With the widespread distribution of transgenic cotton plants, concerns over their potential effects on beneficial insects and other non-target pests have been raised. In the present study, the field and laboratory effects of Cry1Ac/CpTI transgenic cotton pollen on the pollinating beetle Haptoncus luteolus were investigated. Abundance of adult beetles was studied in cotton plots at two sites in Wuhan in 2009, and the average number of adults per flower was recorded. Life-history parameters including developmental duration, hatch rate, pupation rate, emergence rate and egg number per female, as well as the survivorship curves of H. luteolus were studied in laboratory experiments. The results showed that the adult abundance in the field did not differ significantly between non-transgenic and transgenic cotton, the exposure to Cry1Ac/CpTI pollen in laboratory had no effect on the developmental time, hatching rate, pupation rates and emergence rates of H. luteolus, no significant differences were found in the mating rates and the fecundity between treatments, and the survival curves of both treatments also resulted in no significant differences. It indicated there were no significant direct adverse effects of transgenic cotton pollen on H. luteolus both in the field and in the laboratory. Our study bridged the gap of environmental risk assessment of transgenic cotton for pollinators other than pollinating bees.