Barbara Manachini*, Veronica Fileccia*, Silvia

Ruggieri*, Filippo Castiglia**

*Department of Environmental Biology and Biodiversity

Università di Palermo, via Archirafi, 18. 90148 Palermo. Italy

**UOB. 1 Interventi Gestione Demani Forestali, Ufficio

Provinciale Azienda Regionale Foreste Demaniali.

Palermo, Italy

Oil production: oil derived from genetically

modified oilseed rape contains a lower level

of erucic acid that for its toxicity is allowed

a maximum permissible limit of 5% in edible

fats

Animal feed

Production of margarine

supplemented with

methanol, methyl ether

plant (biodiesel) can be

used for the propulsion

of diesel engines

Pasta with Brassica

fruticulosa, tomato, pine

nuts, garlic and olive oil

Sausage and Brassica

fruticulosa

Herbicide tolerant: mainly to Glyphosate (GM HTCanola)

Pest resistance: GM plant modified with genecryIAb with insecticidal proprieties againstlepidopteran pests

Plutella xylostellaPieris brassicae

Gene flow: trasmission of pollen by wind and

insects can get to fertilize plants placed a Km to

distance

Persistence of GM trait: loss of seeds in the field

before and after harvest up to 10%. Much remains

viable for 5-10 years resulting in the birth of GM

plants in subsequent years

Impact to non-target insects: directly and

indirectly on adults and larvae (mainly

Lepidoptera)

Bioindicators of biodiversity

Bioindicators of Climate Changes

Susceptibility to Cry1Ab (Lang & Otto 2010, Entomologia

Experimentalis et Applicata 135: 121-134; Perry et al. 2010, Proc. R. Soc.

B.)

Crosses with

other plants

Crosses with

cultivated

plants (eg.

Brassica) and

wild sexually

compatible:

possibility of

establishing

invasive

weeds

populations

difficult to

combat

D.K. Letourneau et al., 2003 – Bt crops: Predicting effects of escaped transgenes on the fitness of wild plants and their

herbivores - Environ. Biosafety Res. 2 : 219-246

J.N. Perry et al., 2010 A mathematical model of exposure of non-target Lepidoptera to Bt-maize pollen expressing Cry1Ab

within Europe -Proc. R. Soc. B.

First step: obtain a listing

of Lepidopteran species

present in the sample areas

Second step: obtain the fly

period of diurnal non-target

Lepidoptera and overlap of

GM Canola flowering

genus Brassica

(16 species)

genus Raphanus

(6 species)

genus Cakile (3 species)

genus Hirschfeldia

(1 species)

genus Cardamine

(6 species)

genus Sinapis (5 species)

Lepidoptera Brassica Cakile Cardamine Hirschfeldia Raphanus Sinapis

Hesperiidae

Lycaenidae

Nymphalidae 3 1

Papilionidae

Pieridae 19 4 3 7 18 5

Satyridae

Castiglia & Manachini 2010 – Susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis of wild lepidopteran species in Nature Reserve in Sicily –

SIP meeting Trabzon Turkey August 2010.

Olive Grove Mixed Wood

Ampelodesmos Prairie Mediterranean Spot

H

A

B

I

T

A

T

T

R

A

N

S

E

C

T

S

Olive Grove Mixed Woods

Ampelodesmos Prairie Mediterranean Spot

Family Species Olive Grove Mixed Woods Ampelodesmeto Mediterranean SpotPieridae Aporia crataegi x

Colias crocea x x x

Gonepteryx cleopatra x x x

Pieris brassicae x x x x

Pieris rapae x x x

Anthocharis cardamines x x

Satyridae Coenonympha pamphilus x x

Hypparchia semele x x x

Lasiommata megera x x x x

Maniola cecilia x x

Maniola jurtina x x x

Melanargia galathea x x

Melanargia pherusa x

Pararge aegeria x x x x

Neohipparchia statilinus x

Lycaenidae Lampides boeticus x x x

Lycaena phlaeas x x x

Plebejus argus x x x

Polyommatus icarus x x x

Celastrina argiolus x x

Aricia agrestis x x

Hesperiidae Carcharodus alceae x

Hesperia comma x

Ochlodes venata x x

Nymphalidae Melitaea athalia x

Vanessa atalanta x x

Vanessa cardui x x x

Papilionidae Iphiclides podalirius x

Papilio machaon x x

Sicily’s endemic

www.iucnredlist.org

sept sept-oct nov-dec jan-march april-jun jun

Modified by Veronica Fileccia

www.agricultura.it

Brassica carinata:

• autumn-spring cycle

• flowering in March

Pieris brassicae

Nymphalidae

A

T

T

E

N

T

I

O

N

Vanessa atalanta

Hesperiidae

Vanessa cardui

Hesperia comma

The preliminary results of this study highlight

the necessity to use as focal species to assess

the potential impact of GM Bt canola, for

monitoring protocols, some of the species

present in the area and who have flight

period overlap with the Bt canola pollen

production

This study was partially supported by Progetti di Ricerca di Ateneo

N° ORPA07S7TR.

Acknowledgements: IOBC for supporting participation in this

meeting