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