Question

Certain genetically modified strains of maize produce a powerful natural insecticide. The insecticide occurs throughout the plant, including its pollen. Maize pollen is dispersed by the wind and frequently blows onto milkweed plants that grow near maize fields. Caterpillars of monarch butterflies feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. When these caterpillars are fed milkweed leaves dusted with pollen from modified maize plants, they die. Therefore, by using genetically modified maize, farmers put monarch butterflies at risk. Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?

A. Whether the natural insecticide is as effective against maize-eating insects as commercial insecticides typically used on maize are
B. Whether the pollen of genetically modified maize contains as much insecticide as other parts of these plants
C. Whether monarch butterfly caterpillars are actively feeding during the part of the growing season when maize is releasing pollen
D. Whether insects that feed on genetically modified maize plants are likely to be killed by insecticide from the plant's pollen
E. Whether any maize-eating insects compete with monarch caterpillars for the leaves of milkweed plants growing near maize fields

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

Whether any maize-eating insects compete with monarch caterpillars for the leaves of milkweed plants growing near maize fields (E)

Step-by-step explanation:

Since the argument has to do with the elimination of caterpillars of monarch butterflies by the insecticidal property genetically modified strains of maize, in order for the argument to hold valid, every other factor that could result in similar effect of the death of carterpillars of monarch butterflies has to be ruled out. one such factor is competition; when another species struggle for limited available nutrition with the carterpillers which can result in their death, and can easily be confused as the effect of the insecticidal property of the modified maize strain.