Transgenic Spodoptera exigua: possibilities for their use

Transgenic Spodoptera exigua are being developed by microinjection of a piggyBac vector. The vector expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the actin promoter. Forty percent of the first-instar larvae that hatched from the injected eggs were green fluorescent. However, after backcrossing none of the G1 first-instar larvae was fluorescent and a transgenic line could not be established. Several possibilities for the use of transgenic insects are discussed