Bioassay of Insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis Cry IA Delta-Endotoxins against the Spotted Bollworm, Earias vittella Fabricius

Insecticidal δ-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis, Cry IA (a, b and c) were prepared from over-expressing cells of Escherichia coli and bioassayed against the third instars (6-day-old) of the spotted bollworm, Earias vittella Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), using artificial diet. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values were calculated for 6 days of exposure to δ-endotoxins. Cry IA(a) was found to be the most toxic (LC50 141.2 ng/cm2) followed by Cry IA(a) and Cry IA(b) with LC50 values of 224.5 and 300.5 ng/cm2 respectively. A highly significant reduction in larval weight took place in the surviving larvae treated with sub-lethal doses of the insecticidal crystal proteins.