Aflatoxin Contamination of Preharvest Corn: Interaction of European Corn Borer Larvae and Aspergillus flavus-Group Isolates1

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Abstract
Introduction of Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fr. group spores onto external areas of developing corn, Zea mays L., plants did not subsequently yield a high incidence of the fungus in larvae of the European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), collected from internal portions of the plants; addition of spores of an aflatoxin-producing strain of A. flavus did not inhibit the naturally occurring, toxin-positive population of A. flavus propagules from infecting and contaminating developing kernels with aflatoxin before harvest; only a limited ECB transfer of A. parasiticus spores to the developing kernels occurred; ca. 12% of the visually characterized A. fiavus -group isolates were identified as aflatoxin producers; neither origin of the ECB larvae collected from plants (stalks or ears) nor site of fungal inoculum (silks or leaf axils) appeared related to the occurrence of A. flavus group isolates in the insects; and in Georgia, higher levels of aflatoxin in mature kernels were observed in hand-infested ECB samples than in control corn.