Abstract

One of the strategies of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)-soybean is the use of genetically modified plants. However, there are concerns about the unknown effects associated with this technology on non-target organisms. The objective of this study was to determine the population dynamics of species of floral-visiting insects in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and non-Bt soybean. In the experiment, two soybean treatments were assessed, one of soy DM 6563 Intacta and the other BMX Potência RR. Floral-visiting insects were collected in the flowering period every 15 min/h for 12 h/day, every 3 to 4 days. 549 floral-visiting insects (Class Insecta) were collected, comprising 8 orders, 30 families, and 92 species. Of these, 279 were present in the cultivar DM 6563 Intacta and 270 in the cultivar BMX Potência. The most abundant species were Apis mellifera (35.15%), Musca species 1 (10.01%), and Lagria villosa (5.28%). Species composition was similar for the two cultivars. The highest number of species visited the flowers of the cultivars between 8:00 and 11:00 am, while the lowest intensity of visitation occurred between 12:00 and 15:00 pm. After diversity was determined, it was observed that cultivar BMX Potência (non-Bt) had a higher diversity than cultivar DM 6563 Intacta (Bt).

Key words: Pollinators, species diversity, transgenic.