Data from: field evaluation: the effect of two transgenic Bt maize events on predatory arthropods in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize-growing region of China

<p>To illustrate the impact of genetically modified (GM) Bt maize on the natural enemy communities in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize-growing region in China, the abundance of seven common predator groups (<em>Geocoris pallidipennis</em>, <em>Harmonia axyridis</em>, lacewings, <em>Orius sauteri</em>, <em>Propylea japonica</em>, spiders, Staphylinidae) was quantitatively evaluated by planting Bt-Cry1Ab DBN9936 and Bt-Cry1Ab/Cry2Aj Ruifeng 125 events during the growing season from 2016 to 2019. A total of 11,172- 13,739 predators were observed in each varieties during four years, and the abundance of each groups on Bt maize varied between sample dates and among those enemy taxons. The shannon-Wiener diversity index from seven groups showed very similar temporal dynamics and there were not significant differences in Bt and non-Bt maize, showing that Bt maize did not disrupt the stability of predator enemy aggregation in the field. Spiders, <em>H. axyridis</em>, <em>P. japonica</em>, Lacewing, <em>O. sauteri</em> with positive taxon weights after using principal response curve (PRC) method, indicated that Bt maize had a positive effect on the abundances of individual taxa. All this indicating that the two Bt maize hybrids did not adversely affect predator community in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize-growing region of China.</p>