Bt corn - other non-target species

[Chip Taylor]

With regard to other non-target species - the point raised by Doug Yanega -
the following statement was posted to the web site
http://www.ucsusa.org/agriculture/index.html?ag.activists.html for the
Union of Concerned Scientists today.

"Also at risk may be some of the 19 species of moths and butterflies on the US
  Endangered Species List--if they eat plants that grow near Bt-corn
fields. For the
  assessment that led to the approval of Bt corn, the EPA did not require
  companies to test the effect of the pollen on monarchs or any other nonpest
  butterflies or moths."

Bt toxins act as chitinases - how much do we know about the effects of
these toxins on other invertebrates. Honeybees and "ladybugs" are tolerant
but these seem to be the only species that have been tested.


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