EFFECTIVENESS OF PURIFIED BACILLUS-THURINGIENSIS BERLINER INSECTICIDAL PROTEINS IN CONTROLLING 3 INSECT PESTS OF AUSTRALIAN EUCALYPT PLANTATIONS

First instars of chrysomelid leaf beetles Chrysophtharta bimaculata (O liver) (Coleopter: Chrysomelidae) and C. agricola (Chapuis) (Coleopter a: Chrysomelidae) were fed eucalypt leaves coated with purified protei n encoded by the cryIIIA gene of Bacillus thuringiensis Berline variet y tenebrionis. The CryIIIA protein was highly effective against C. bim aculata when presented on adult Eucalyptus nitens (Deane & Maiden) Mai den leaves, but not when leaves of the preferred host E. regnans F. Mu ell. were used. The difference between tree species may be the result of differences in the amount of endotoxin ingested or to interactions between the cryIIIA protein and eucalypt allelochemicals, (e.g., leaf oils). CryIIIA was not effective against C. agricola fed on juvenile E . nitens leaves coated with cryIIIA protein. We also tested purified p rotein encoded by the cryIa(b) gene of B. thuringiensis variety kursta ki in laboratory feeding trials against 1st instars of Mnesampela priv ata (Guene) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The CryIA(b) protein was highl y effective against M. privata when presented on juvenile E. nitens le aves. These results indicate that CryIIIA and CryIA(b) proteins could be used to control 1st instars of C. bimaculata and M. privata, respec tively, in some commercial eucalypt plantations when either sprayed as microbial formulations or present in transgenic plants.