News Agriculture

Gut bacteria ally with Bt

Particular microbes make caterpillars susceptible to the insecticide

By Rachel Ehrenberg

- More than 2 years ago

Caterpillars shouldn’t always trust their guts. A new study reports that stomach microbes can betray their pest hosts, conspiring with Bt toxin to kill the lepidopteran larvae.

CATERPILLARS Caterpillars, such as this cotton bollworm, may start looking for antibiotics to prepare for the spring Bt dusting. New research shows that gut microbes help the insecticide kill the critters.