Bt corn flap

[Rob Knell]

On 29 Mar 2000 21:49:47 -0800, drdn at mail.utexas.edu (Chris J. Durden)
wrote:

>- - - -- - -
>  I have been seeing one form of either *B. thuringensis* or polyhedrosis
>viris with some frequency since 1954. It occurs on butterfly larvae that
>feed on nettles *Urtica* spp. It wipes out a population in about 3 days,
>leaving the larvae as black limp sacks hanging from the claws of a proleg.
>I see it most often in remote wilderness areas. Species that I have seen
>affected are *Vanessa atalanta*, *Nymphalis milberti* and *Polygonia
>satyrus*. It seems to be a very real fact of life/death for these species
>and may prevent them from eradicating the hostplants, which are not common
>in boreal regions.
>- - - - -(Chris)
>>

Sounds like a virus to me (the limp sacks hanging by a proleg are
familiar), although it's hard to be sure without samples.

I said:
>>I would be interested to know your source for this information: maybe
>>someone in the organic food industry is not being truthful. Remember,
>>it is an industry, and whereas some organic growers are dedicated
>>selfless protectors of the environment there are others who are in it
>>for the money, and they stand to lose big wads of cash if the public
>>decides that one of their most effective control agents is no longer
>>acceptable.
>- - - -

And Chris said:

>Wow. You could say that about the GM/GE nebbishes too!
>- - - -(Chris)
>>

But of course. However, the organic bods have managed to get
themselves portrayed in the media as the guardians of truth and beauty
as opposed to the evil twisted frankensteins who make GM crops,
whereas in fact there are financial interests on both sides.

Cheers

Rob