Summary
The following investigation examines the potential relationship between genetically modified
corn containing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene and monarch butterfly population and
mortality rate. Prior literature has shown that in laboratory conditions, Bt corn pollen has an
adverse and fatal effect on monarch butterfly larvae. Very little research has conclusively
determined whether this holds true in real-world conditions. This paper looks at Iowa- the
largest corn-producing state in the United States of America- and the monarch butterfly count
using three databases in the state during their breeding season for ten years. Results indicate
that for a level of confidence of 0.1, there is a significant negative correlation between the
two variables suggesting that an increase in Bt corn significantly reduces the monarch
butterfly population in Iowa. These findings suggest that populations of monarch butterflies
which are of paramount importance for pollination and for enabling several ecosystems to
thrive, are at risk because of Bt corn.