| Phenotypical characterization | Subsp. kurstaki | Subsp. aizawai | Subsp. morrisoni | Subsp. kenyae | Subsp. sotto | Subsp. thuringiensis | Subsp. galleria | Subsp. entomosidis | |
| Voges Proskauer reaction | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | _ | |
| Fermentation of sucrose with an acid | − | − | + | − | + | − | − | + | |
| -of mannose | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | + | |
| -of cellobiose | + | + | + | + | - | + | + | + | |
| Hydrolysis -of salicine | + | + | − | + | - | + | + | + | |
| -of esculin | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | |
| -of starch | + | + | ± | ± | ++ | ± | + | + | |
| -of lecithin | + | + | − | + | + | + | − | − | |
| -of urea | + | + | − | + | − | + | − | − | |
| -of gelatin | + | + | + | + | ++ | − | + | + | |
| Pigment production | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | |
| Films on the MPB (meat-peptone broth) | − | − | + | − | - | − | + | − | |
| exotoxin production | − | − | + | ± | - | + | − | − | |