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Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis on Parasitoids and Predators

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Book cover Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus

Abstract

Advances in biotechnological studies have led to the development of genetically modified (GM) crops. The commercial release of transgenic plants producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins has contributed to the management of several insect pests worldwide. Additionally, the use of selective products such as Bt-bioinsecticides allows for the conservation of beneficial organisms, including parasitoids and predators, in agricultural ecosystems, thus reducing chemical insecticidal applications. The use of these bioinsecticides reduces production costs, improves product quality, and can serve as a good strategy to slow the evolution of resistance in insect pest populations. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of Bt on insect pests and on their natural enemies. Here we review the effects of Bt on parasitoids and predators and emphasize that although Bt should be selective for natural enemies, special attention should be paid to the sublethal effects of these products on the biology and/or behavior of natural enemies. Thus, this chapter describes the possible effects of Bt on some predators and parasitoids species, including Bt-bioinsecticides and GM plants.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Protection, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil

    Sergio Antonio De Bortoli, Alessandra Marieli Vacari & Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk

  2. Citrus Defense Fund – Fundecitrus, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ana Carolina Pires Veiga

  3. SGS of Brazil, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Roberto Marchi Goulart

Authors
  1. Sergio Antonio De Bortoli
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  2. Alessandra Marieli Vacari
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  3. Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk
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  4. Ana Carolina Pires Veiga
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  5. Roberto Marchi Goulart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandra Marieli Vacari .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Control Agro Bio Pesquisa e Defesa, Agropecuária Ltda, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Lidia Mariana Fiuza

  2. Plant Protection Department, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, Brazil

    Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk

  3. School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom

    Neil Crickmore

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De Bortoli, S.A., Vacari, A.M., Polanczyk, R.A., Veiga, A.C.P., Goulart, R.M. (2017). Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis on Parasitoids and Predators. In: Fiuza, L., Polanczyk, R., Crickmore, N. (eds) Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56678-8_5

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