Does Larval Survival Suggest Pesticide Residues on Retail Produce

This study examined how pesticide exposure from different produce sources affects survival in black swallowtail larvae, Papilio polyxenes. Larvae were fed 3 conventionally grown host plants (dill, fennel, and flat parsley) and organic versus conventional parsley. Survival at 72 hours was analyzed using chi-square (χ²) tests. Conventional dill produced the highest survival, followed by fennel, while conventional flat parsley caused the greatest mortality. Organic parsley resulted in higher survival compared to its conventional counterpart.