Bacillus thuringiensis was discovered 1901 in Japan by Ishiwata and 1911 in Germany by Ernst Berliner, who discovered a disease called Schlaffsucht in flour moth caterpillars. Bacillus thuringiensis is closely related to B. cereus, a soil bacterium, and B. anthracis, the cause of anthrax: the three organisms differ mainly in their plasmids. Like other members of the genus, all three are aerobes capable of producing endospores.
Zakharyan R.A et al. (1976,1977,1979) first reported the presence of plasmids in B. thuringiensis and suggested involvement of the plasmids in endospore/crystal formation.

Bacillus thuringiensis is commonly used as a pesticide.Bacillus thuringiensis-based insecticides are often applied as liquid sprays on crop plants, where the insecticide must be ingested to be effective.
Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis, a strain of B. thuringiensis is widely used as a larvicide against mosquito larvae, where it is also considered an environmentally friendly method of mosquito control.

Reported in EPA TSCA Inventory.

Low toxicity by ingestion and skin contact. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating vapors.