Maize (Zea mays) pollen is highly nutritious and can be used by predatory arthropods to supplement or replace a carnivorous diet. We demonstrate that maize pollen can be utilized by larvae of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) under laboratory conditions. Complete development on maize pollen was not possible, but 25% of neonates reached the third instar. When only one instar was fed with pollen and the other two instars with eggs of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), 58–87% of the larvae reached the pupal stage. The experiments included pollen produced by nine cultivars: three genetically modified (GM) cultivars expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis proteins Cry1Ab or Cry3Bb1, their corresponding non-transformed near-isolines, and three conventional cultivars. Maize cultivars were grown in two batches in a glasshouse. Their pollen differed by up to 59% in total protein content, 25% in C:N ratio, and 14% in grain diameter, but the differences were inconsistent and depended on the batch. Lacewing performance was not affected by maize cultivar. For environmental risk assessment of GM plants, in planta studies must consider the variability among conventional cultivars, individual plants, batches, and environmental conditions when evaluating the ecological significance of differences observed between GM and near-isolines.

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A convertible glasshouse was established to study annual transgenic plants under near-field environmental conditions while simultaneously ensuring a high level of biological containment. This system can provide a useful step in the assessment of transgenic plants prior to open-field experiments. Two transgenic wheat lines (cv. Bobwhite) were investigated and compared with their corresponding non-transformed wildtypes with respect to plant performance, expression of the transgenic trait and interactions with antagonists. The first line expressed snowdrop lectin [Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA)] for enhanced resistance to aphids, and the second one overexpressed the endogenous Lr10 gene to enhance resistance to leaf rust. Interestingly, 1000-kernel weight of Lr10-transgenic plants was significantly reduced, indicating that the overexpression of the Lr10 gene caused a significant fitness cost for the plant. GNA-transgenic plants expressed the lectin at levels too low to affect the target aphids. A detached leaf bioassay with Lr10-transgenic plants revealed an increased resistance to leaf rust. No differences in the performance of aphids or cereal leaf beetles on transgenic and non-transformed plants were recorded in the convertible glasshouse and in complementary glasshouse studies. Similarly, infection levels with powdery mildew did not differ between transgenic and non-transformed plants but Bobwhite plants were significantly more infected when compared with conventional Swiss spring wheat cultivars. Overall, the assessment revealed that for the plants investigated here, their genetic background had a stronger impact on the performance of a plant and its interactions with insect herbivores and pathogens than the expression of the transgene.

ABSTRAGT Green lacewings in the genus Chrysoperla are not always green. They can be yellow (autosomal recessive mutant); change from whitish-yellow to green as young adults; or temporarily turn yellowish, reddish, or brown during diapause. New findings on a yellow mutant in a natural population in southern Galifornia and on species-specific diapause coloration are presented, old findings are reviewed, and the adaptive value of color variability and color change in the genus is discussed.

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