Disclosed is a means of controlling plant pests by a novel method of expressing Cry2A B. thuringiensis .delta.-endotoxins in plants. The invention comprises novel nucleic acid segments encoding proteins comprising Cry2A B. thuringiensis .delta.-endotoxins. The nucleic acid segments are disclosed, as are transformation vectors containing the nucleic acid segments, plants transformed with the claimed segments, methods for transforming plants, and methods of controlling plant infestation by pests.