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Bovier M, Camenzind DW, Brown AF, Jeker L, Retschnig G, Neumann P, Straub L. Colony environment and absence of brood enhance tolerance to a neonicotinoid in winter honey bee workers, Apis mellifera. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024:10.1007/s10646-024-02758-8. [PMID: 38780664 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02758-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In eusocial insects, worker longevity is essential to ensure colony survival in brood-free periods. Trade-offs between longevity and other traits may render long-living workers in brood-free periods more susceptible to pesticides compared to short-lived ones. Further, colony environment (e.g., adequate nutrition) may enable workers to better cope with pesticides, yet data comparing long vs. short-living workers and the role of the colony environment for pesticide tolerance are scarce. Here, we show that long-living honey bee workers, Apis mellifera, are less susceptible to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam than short-lived workers, and that susceptibility was further reduced when workers were acclimatized under colony compared to laboratory conditions. Following an OECD protocol, freshly-emerged workers were exposed to thiamethoxam in summer and winter and either acclimatized within their colony or in the laboratory. Mortality and sucrose consumption were measured daily and revealed that winter workers were significantly less susceptible than summer workers, despite being exposed to higher thiamethoxam dosages due to increased food consumption. Disparencies in fat body activity, which is key for detoxification, may explain why winter bees were less susceptible. Furthermore, colony acclimatization significantly reduced susceptibility towards thiamethoxam in winter workers likely due to enhanced protein nutrition. Brood absence and colony environment seem to govern workers' ability to cope with pesticides, which should be considered in risk assessments. Since honey bee colony losses occur mostly over winter, long-term studies assessing the effects of pesticide exposure on winter bees are required to better understand the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bovier
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Domenic W Camenzind
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew F Brown
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jeker
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gina Retschnig
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Science, Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Rayong Campus, Rayong, Thailand.
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
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2
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Global honeybee health decline factors and potential conservation techniques. Food Secur 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12571-023-01346-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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3
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Breda D, Frizzera D, Giordano G, Seffin E, Zanni V, Annoscia D, Topping CJ, Blanchini F, Nazzi F. A deeper understanding of system interactions can explain contradictory field results on pesticide impact on honey bees. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5720. [PMID: 36175425 PMCID: PMC9523045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33405-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is widespread concern regarding the impact of pesticides on honey bees, well-replicated field experiments, to date, have failed to provide clear insights on pesticide effects. Here, we adopt a systems biology approach to gain insights into the web of interactions amongst the factors influencing honey bee health. We put the focus on the properties of the system that depend upon its architecture and not on the strength, often unknown, of each single interaction. Then we test in vivo, on caged honey bees, the predictions derived from this modelling analysis. We show that the impact of toxic compounds on honey bee health can be shaped by the concurrent stressors affecting bees. We demonstrate that the immune-suppressive capacity of the widespread pathogen of bees, deformed wing virus, can introduce a critical positive feed-back loop in the system causing bistability, i.e., two stable equilibria. Therefore, honey bees under similar initial conditions can experience different consequences when exposed to the same stressor, including prolonged survival or premature death. The latter can generate an increased vulnerability of the hive to dwindling and collapse. Our conclusions reconcile contrasting field-testing outcomes and have important implications for the application of field studies to complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Breda
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Davide Frizzera
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Giordano
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elisa Seffin
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Franco Blanchini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
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4
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Brühl CA, Bakanov N, Köthe S, Eichler L, Sorg M, Hörren T, Mühlethaler R, Meinel G, Lehmann GUC. Direct pesticide exposure of insects in nature conservation areas in Germany. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24144. [PMID: 34916546 PMCID: PMC8677746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03366-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In Germany, the decline of insect biomass was observed in nature conservation areas in agricultural landscapes. One of the main causal factors discussed is the use of synthetic pesticides in conventional agriculture. In a Germany-wide field study, we collected flying insects using Malaise traps in nature conservation areas adjacent to agricultural land. We used a multi-component chemical trace element analysis to detect 92 common agricultural pesticides in ethanol from insect traps sampled in May and August 2020. In total, residues of 47 current use pesticides were detected, and insect samples were on average contaminated with 16.7 pesticides. Residues of the herbicides metolachlor-S, prosulfocarb and terbuthylazine, and the fungicides azoxystrobin and fluopyram were recorded at all sites. The neonicotinoid thiacloprid was detected in 16 of 21 nature conservation areas, most likely due to final use before an EU-wide ban. A change in residue mixture composition was noticeable due to higher herbicide use in spring and increasing fungicide applications in summer. The number of substances of recorded residues is related to the proportion of agricultural production area in a radius of 2000 m. Therefore, a drastic pesticide reduction in large buffers around nature conservation areas is necessary to avoid contamination of their insect fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten A Brühl
- Institute for Environmental Sciences Landau, University Koblenz Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Nikita Bakanov
- Institute for Environmental Sciences Landau, University Koblenz Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Köthe
- Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Charitéstraße 3, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Eichler
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), Weberplatz 1, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Sorg
- Entomological Society Krefeld (EVK), Marktstraße 159, 47798, Krefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Hörren
- Entomological Society Krefeld (EVK), Marktstraße 159, 47798, Krefeld, Germany
| | - Roland Mühlethaler
- Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Charitéstraße 3, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gotthard Meinel
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), Weberplatz 1, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gerlind U C Lehmann
- Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Charitéstraße 3, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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5
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Chen YR, Tzeng DTW, Yang EC. Chronic Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Worker Development-Molecular Pathway Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11835. [PMID: 34769266 PMCID: PMC8584158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Sublethal dosages of imidacloprid cause long-term destructive effects on honey bees at the individual and colony levels. In this review, the molecular effects of sublethal imidacloprid were integrated and reported. Several general effects have been observed among different reports using different approaches. Quantitative PCR approaches revealed that imidacloprid treatments during the adult stage are expressed as changes in immuneresponse, detoxification, and oxidation-reduction response in both workers and queens. In addition, transcriptomic approaches suggested that phototransduction, behavior, and somatic muscle development also were affected. Although worker larvae show a higher tolerance to imidacloprid than adults, molecular evidence reveals its potential impacts. Sublethal imidacloprid treatment during the larval stage causes gene expression changes in larvae, pupae, and adults. Transcriptome profiles suggest that the population and functions of affected differentially expressed genes, DEGs, vary among different worker ages. Furthermore, an early transcriptomic switch from nurse bees to foragers was observed, suggesting that precocious foraging activity may occur. This report comprehensively describes the molecular effects of sublethal dosages of imidacloprid on the honey bee Apis mellifera. The corresponding molecular pathways for physiological and neurological responses in imidacloprid-exposed honey bees were validated. Transcriptomic evidence suggests a global and sustained sublethal impact of imidacloprid on honey bee development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ru Chen
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
| | - David T. W. Tzeng
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
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6
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Residual Tau-Fluvalinate in Honey Bee Colonies Is Coupled with Evidence for Selection for Varroa destructor Resistance to Pyrethroids. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12080731. [PMID: 34442297 PMCID: PMC8397018 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Varroa destructor is considered one of the most devastating parasites of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, and a major problem for the beekeeping industry. Currently, the main method to control Varroa mites is the application of drugs that contain different acaricides as active ingredients. The pyrethroid tau-fluvalinate is one of the acaricides most widely used in beekeeping due to its efficacy and low toxicity to bees. However, the intensive and repetitive application of this compound produces a selective pressure that, when maintained over time, contributes to the emergence of resistant mites in the honey bee colonies, compromising the acaricidal treatments efficacy. Here we studied the presence of tau-fluvalinate residues in hives and the evolution of genetic resistance to this acaricide in Varroa mites from honey bee colonies that received no pyrethroid treatment in the previous four years. Our data revealed the widespread and persistent tau-fluvalinate contamination of beeswax and beebread in hives, an overall increase of the pyrethroid resistance allele frequency and a generalized excess of resistant mites relative to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. These results suggest that tau-fluvalinate contamination in the hives may seriously compromise the efficacy of pyrethroid-based mite control methods.
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7
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Chen YR, Tzeng DTW, Ting C, Hsu PS, Wu TH, Zhong S, Yang EC. Missing Nurse Bees-Early Transcriptomic Switch From Nurse Bee to Forager Induced by Sublethal Imidacloprid. Front Genet 2021; 12:665927. [PMID: 34220942 PMCID: PMC8248817 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.665927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The environmental residue/sublethal doses of neonicotinoid insecticides are believed to generate a negative impact on pollinators, including honey bees. Here we report our recent investigation on how imidacloprid, one of the major neonicotinoids, affects worker bees by profiling the transcriptomes of various ages of bees exposed to different doses of imidacloprid during the larval stage. The results show that imidacloprid treatments during the larval stage severely altered the gene expression profiles and may induce precocious foraging. Differential expression of foraging regulators was found in 14-day-old treated adults. A high transcriptome similarity between larvae-treated 14-day-old adults and 20-day-old controls was also observed, and the similarity was positively correlated with the dose of imidacloprid. One parts per billion (ppb) of imidacloprid was sufficient to generate a long-term impact on the bee's gene expression as severe as with 50 ppb imidacloprid. The disappearance of nurse bees may be driven not only by the hive member constitution but also by the neonicotinoid-induced precocious foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ru Chen
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - David T W Tzeng
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chieh Ting
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Shou Hsu
- Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Gongguan, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hsien Wu
- Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Gongguan, Taiwan
| | - Silin Zhong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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8
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Mahefarisoa K, Simon Delso N, Zaninotto V, Colin M, Bonmatin J. The threat of veterinary medicinal products and biocides on pollinators: A One Health perspective. One Health 2021; 12:100237. [PMID: 33851001 PMCID: PMC8022246 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The One Health approach acknowledges that human health is firmly linked to animal and environmental health. It involves using animals such as bees and other pollinators as sentinels for environmental contamination or biological indicators. Beekeepers noticed intoxications of apiaries located in the vicinity of sheep and cattle farms, which led to the suspicion of bees' intoxication by the products used for livestock: veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) and Biocides, confirmed by laboratory analysis. We review the legal context of VMPs and Biocidal products considering Europe as a case study, and identify shortcomings at the environmental level. We describe the possible ways these products could intoxicate bees in the vicinity of livestock farms. We also illustrate the way they may impact non-target species. The cases of ivermectin and abamectin as VMPs, deltamethrin and permethrin as Biocides are considered as case studies. We show bees can be exposed to new and unrecognized routes of exposure to these chemicals, and demonstrate that their application in livestock farming can affect the survival of pollinators, such as bees. We conclude that: (1) figures on the marketing/use of these chemicals should be harmonized, centralized and publicly available, (2) research should be devoted to clarifying how pollinators are exposed to VMPs and Biocides, (3) toxicity studies on bees should be carried out, and (4) pollinators should be considered as non-targeted species concerning the environmental risk assessment before their marketing authorization. We propose the term "Multi-use substances" for active ingredients with versatile use.
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Key Words
- BTV, Bluetongue virus
- Bees
- ECHA, European Chemical Agency
- EIA, environmental impact assessment
- EMA, Environmental Medicine Agency
- ERA, environmental risk assessment
- Ecotoxicology
- Environmental health
- Livestock
- MA, market authorisation
- Multi-use substances
- PEC, predicted environmental concentration
- PNEC, predicted no effect concentration
- Pesticide
- RQ, risk quotient
- Risk assessment
- SPs, synthetic pyrethroids
- VICH, International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products.
- VMPs, veterinary medicinal products
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Affiliation(s)
- K.L. Mahefarisoa
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of bioscience engineering, Place Croix du Sud 2, 1348 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - N. Simon Delso
- Beekeeping Center of Research and Information (CARI asbl), BeeLife European Beekeeping Coordination, Place Croix du Sud 1, 1348 Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | - V. Zaninotto
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, University of Paris, UPEC, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences-Paris (IEES-Paris), 75005 Paris, France
| | - M.E. Colin
- Montpellier Fédération Nationale des Organisations Sanitaires Apicoles Départementales (FNOSAD), 41 Rue Pernety, 75014 Paris, France
| | - J.M. Bonmatin
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de biophysique moléculaire, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02, France
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9
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Friedle C, Wallner K, Rosenkranz P, Martens D, Vetter W. Pesticide residues in daily bee pollen samples (April-July) from an intensive agricultural region in Southern Germany. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:22789-22803. [PMID: 33432407 PMCID: PMC8113304 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12318-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Insect-pollinated plants are essential for honey bees to feed their brood. In agricultural landscapes, honey bees and other pollinators are often exposed to pesticides used for cultivation. In order to gain more insight into the fluctuation of pesticide loads, 102 daily pollen samples were collected between April and July 2018 in a fruit-growing area in Southern Germany. Samples were analyzed with respect to more than 260 pesticides using a multi-residue pesticide analysis method. Almost 90% of the analyzed pollen samples featured between one and thirteen different pesticides. In total, 29 pesticides were detected at maximum concentrations of up to 4500 ng/g pollen. Maximum residual concentrations of most pesticides were observed during April and the first half of May, as well as during the second half of June. In most cases, serial data of pesticide residuals were detected for approximately 10 subsequent days with two or three maximum values, which were several folds higher than concentrations on the days before and thereafter. The pollen hazard quotient (PHQ) was calculated to estimate the risk of the detected pesticides to honey bees and wild pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Friedle
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Klaus Wallner
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Peter Rosenkranz
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Dieter Martens
- Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Speyer, Germany
| | - Walter Vetter
- Institute of Food Chemistry (170b), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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10
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Neov B, Shumkova R, Palova N, Hristov P. The health crisis in managed honey bees (Apis mellifera). Which factors are involved in this phenomenon? Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00684-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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11
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Mating frequency of Apis mellifera jemenitica under desert conditions of Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:578-581. [PMID: 33424342 PMCID: PMC7783831 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Queen mating frequency is an important reproductive trait of the western honeybee Apis mellifera. Yet, it demands more attention when investigated under extreme or confined ecosystems. Queen mating frequency of the Yemeni Honeybee A. m. jemenetica was estimated under Saudi Arabia desert conditions, Riyadh (24°71′36″N, 46°67′53″E). Mating of queens took place after 8–13 days from emergence. Duration of mating flight ranged between 26 and 39 min. Subsequently, six microsatellite loci were used to genotype queen's progeny (n = 30 workers/queen). The average number of drone alleles using workers genotypes ranged between 5.83 ± 0.31 and 6.33 ± 1.09. However, effective paternal allele number was extremely low and ranged between 3.35 ± 0.34 and 3.60 ± 0.40. This relatively low mating frequency of the Yemeni honeybee, A. m. jemenetica, might have striking effect on the overall colony survival. Providentially, this relatively low mating frequency does not impact colonial heterozygosity, shown in this study (0.66 ± 0.07–70 ± 0.04), adversely. These results may affect hive survivability and entails distinctive management practices under such conditions.
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12
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Cui X, Wang C, Wang X, Li G, Liu Z, Wang H, Guo X, Xu B. Molecular Mechanism of the UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 2B20-like Gene ( AccUGT2B20-like) in Pesticide Resistance of Apis cerana cerana. Front Genet 2020; 11:592595. [PMID: 33329739 PMCID: PMC7710801 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.592595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), being multifunctional detoxification enzymes, play a major role in the process of resistance to various pesticides in insects. However, the mechanism underlying the molecular regulation of pesticide resistance remains unclear, especially in Apis cerana cerana. In this study, all of the UGTs in Apis cerana cerana (AccUGT) have been identified through the multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Expression of AccUGT genes under different pesticides, and antioxidant genes after silencing of AccUGT2B20-like, were detected by qRT-PCR. The resistance of overexpressed AccUGT2B20-like to oxidative stress was investigated by an Escherichia coli overexpression system. Also, antioxidant-related enzyme activity was detected after silencing of the AccUGT2B20-like gene. Expression pattern analysis showed that almost all UGT genes were upregulated under different pesticide treatments. This result indicated that AccUGTs participate in the detoxification process of pesticides. AccUGT2B20-like was the major gene because it was more highly induced than the others. Overexpression of AccUGT2B20-like in E. coli could effectively improve oxidative stress resistance. Specifically, silencing the AccUGT2B20-like gene increased oxidative stress by repressing the expression of oxidation-related genes, decreasing antioxidant-related enzyme activity, and increasing malondialdehyde concentration. Taken together, our results indicate that AccUGTs are involved in pesticide resistance, among which, AccUGT2B20-like contributes to the detoxification of pesticides by eliminating oxidative stress in Apis cerana cerana. This study explains the molecular basis for the resistance of bees to pesticides and provides an important safeguard for maintaining ecological balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuepei Cui
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Guilin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Zhenguo Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Hongfang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
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13
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Varikou K, Kasiotis KM, Bempelou E, Manea-Karga E, Anagnostopoulos C, Charalampous A, Garantonakis N, Birouraki A, Hatjina F, Machera K. A Pesticide Residues Insight on Honeybees, Bumblebees and Olive Oil after Pesticidal Applications against the Olive Fruit Fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae). INSECTS 2020; 11:E855. [PMID: 33276441 PMCID: PMC7760811 DOI: 10.3390/insects11120855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In 2017 and 2018, a field survey was initiated on Greek olive orchards to investigate the attractiveness of bait spray applications and the impact of cover and bait sprays applied against the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae), on the honeybee, Apis mellifera L. and bumblebees Bombus terrestris, by investigating the pesticides' residual prevalence. Bee colonies were evenly distributed in three sites located on coastal areas of Western Crete and visited almost weekly between July and October. Samples collected, were analyzed using existing or developed-optimized liquid and gas chromatographic methods. In bee samples, concentrations varied from 0.0013 to 2.3 mg/kg for dimethoate, from 0.0013-0.059 mg/kg for its metabolite omethoate, and from 0.0035 to 0.63 mg/kg regarding the pyrethroids, β-cyfluthrin and λ-cyhalothrin. In one bee sample dimethoate concentration exceeded both acute oral and contact median lethal dose (LD50). Residue findings in bees, along with verified olive oil residues corroborated that those insecticides had been applied in the olive orchards and transferred to bees. The possibility of non-target effects of the bait sprays to the bees, as well as the impact of the contaminated olive to the bees are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyriaki Varikou
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, ELGO-DIMITRA, Leoforos Karamanli, 73100 Chania, Crete, Greece; (N.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Konstantinos M. Kasiotis
- Laboratory of Pesticides’ Toxicology, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.M.-K.); (K.M.)
| | - Eleftheria Bempelou
- Laboratory of Pesticide Residues, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.B.); (C.A.); (A.C.)
| | - Electra Manea-Karga
- Laboratory of Pesticides’ Toxicology, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.M.-K.); (K.M.)
| | - Chris Anagnostopoulos
- Laboratory of Pesticide Residues, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.B.); (C.A.); (A.C.)
| | - Angeliki Charalampous
- Laboratory of Pesticide Residues, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.B.); (C.A.); (A.C.)
| | - Nikos Garantonakis
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, ELGO-DIMITRA, Leoforos Karamanli, 73100 Chania, Crete, Greece; (N.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Athanasia Birouraki
- Department of Entomology, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, ELGO-DIMITRA, Leoforos Karamanli, 73100 Chania, Crete, Greece; (N.G.); (A.B.)
| | - Fani Hatjina
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, ELGO-DIMITRA, 63200 Nea Moudania, Greece;
| | - Kyriaki Machera
- Laboratory of Pesticides’ Toxicology, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., GR-14561 Kifissia, Greece; (E.M.-K.); (K.M.)
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14
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Contribution of Extensive Farming Practices to the Supply of Floral Resources for Pollinators. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110818. [PMID: 33233506 PMCID: PMC7699504 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary One of the causes of pollinator decline is the decreased availability of flower resources, that constitute their nutritional requirements. In particular, the intensification of agricultural practices has led to a loss of flower resources. For many years, as part of the Common Agricultural Policy and the efforts to preserve biodiversity, several Agri-Environmental Schemes (AESs) and extensive farming practices have been promoted in Europe. To assess the relative contribution of extensive farming practices such as hedgerows, organic crops and extensive grasslands, we compared pairs of agricultural landscapes in Belgium. We recorded the densities of the insect-pollinated plant species per biotope and per month, the abundance and diversity of the main visiting insects. In April, hedgerows and forest edges constituted the main nectar resources. In May, most of the nectar resources were produced by grasslands and mass-flowering crops. In June, extensive grasslands and organic crops contributed to nectar resources, contrarily to intensive agricultural elements. Extensive and diverse agricultural practices should therefore be encouraged to provide less fluctuating nectar resources on a landscape scale. Abstract Intensification of agricultural practices leads to a loss of floral resources and drives pollinator decline. Extensive agricultural practices are encouraged in Europe and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity. We compared three agricultural landscapes without extensive farming practices with three adjacent landscapes containing organic crops and extensively managed grasslands in Belgium. Nectar resource availability and plant–pollinator interactions were monitored from April to June. Flower density per plant species and plant–pollinator interactions were recorded in different landscape elements. In April, the main nectar resources were provided by linear elements such as hedgerows and forest edges. Nectar production peaked in May, driven by intensive grasslands and mass-flowering crops. Occurrence of extensive grasslands and organic crops significantly alleviated the nectar resource gap observed in June. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining landscape heterogeneity for continuous flower resources and highlight the specific role of extensive grasslands and organic crops in June.
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Harwood GP, Dolezal AG. Pesticide-Virus Interactions in Honey Bees: Challenges and Opportunities for Understanding Drivers of Bee Declines. Viruses 2020; 12:E566. [PMID: 32455815 PMCID: PMC7291294 DOI: 10.3390/v12050566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are key agricultural pollinators, but beekeepers continually suffer high annual colony losses owing to a number of environmental stressors, including inadequate nutrition, pressures from parasites and pathogens, and exposure to a wide variety of pesticides. In this review, we examine how two such stressors, pesticides and viruses, may interact in additive or synergistic ways to affect honey bee health. Despite what appears to be a straightforward comparison, there is a dearth of studies examining this issue likely owing to the complexity of such interactions. Such complexities include the wide array of pesticide chemical classes with different modes of actions, the coupling of many bee viruses with ectoparasitic Varroa mites, and the intricate social structure of honey bee colonies. Together, these issues pose a challenge to researchers examining the effects pesticide-virus interactions at both the individual and colony level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyan P. Harwood
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
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16
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da Silva IM, Zanuncio JC, Brügger BP, Soares MA, Zanuncio AJV, Wilcken CF, Tavares WDS, Serrão JE, Sediyama CS. Selectivity of the botanical compounds to the pollinators Apis mellifera and Trigona hyalinata (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Sci Rep 2020; 10:4820. [PMID: 32179793 PMCID: PMC7076031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61469-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The toxicity of essential oils that can be used in insect pest management to pollinators needs further studies. Apis mellifera Linnaeus and Trigona hyalinata (Lepeletier) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) foragers were exposed by three pathways to ginger, mint, oregano and thyme essential oils to provide their LC50, LD50 and LC90, LD90. Oregano and thyme were more toxic through contact and topically for A. mellifera while the toxicity of mint and ginger was lower. Trigona hyalinata was more tolerant to the essential oils than A. mellifera. In the walking test, the area was treated (totally or partially) with sub-doses (LC50) obtained via contact. The area fully treated with oregano reduced the distance traveled and the movement speed increased the number of stops by A. mellifera. Similar results were observed for T. hyalinata with oregano and thyme oils. Apis mellifera showed irritability remaining shorter time in the area partially treated with ginger, mint and thyme essential oils while T. hyalinata had similar behavior with ginger and thyme. Essential oils did not repel A. mellifera or T. hyalinata, but those of ginger, mint and thyme reduced the time spent by A. mellifera in areas treated with sublethal doses. Oregano and thyme essential oils reduced the survival, mainly, of A. mellifera, while ginger and mint were selective for both pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Moreira da Silva
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
| | - José Cola Zanuncio
- Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Bruno Pandelo Brügger
- Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Marcus Alvarenga Soares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal dos Vales Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Antônio José Vinha Zanuncio
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | | | - Wagner de Souza Tavares
- Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited, Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau, 28300, Indonesia
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
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17
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Smith DB, Arce AN, Ramos Rodrigues A, Bischoff PH, Burris D, Ahmed F, Gill RJ. Insecticide exposure during brood or early-adult development reduces brain growth and impairs adult learning in bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192442. [PMID: 32126960 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
For social bees, an understudied step in evaluating pesticide risk is how contaminated food entering colonies affects residing offspring development and maturation. For instance, neurotoxic insecticide compounds in food could affect central nervous system development predisposing individuals to become poorer task performers later-in-life. Studying bumblebee colonies provisioned with neonicotinoid spiked nectar substitute, we measured brain volume and learning behaviour of 3 or 12-day old adults that had experienced in-hive exposure during brood and/or early-stage adult development. Micro-computed tomography scanning and segmentation of multiple brain neuropils showed exposure during either of the developmental stages caused reduced mushroom body calycal growth relative to unexposed workers. Associated with this was a lower probability of responding to a sucrose reward and lower learning performance in an olfactory conditioning test. While calycal volume of control workers positively correlated with learning score, this relationship was absent for exposed workers indicating neuropil functional impairment. Comparison of 3- and 12-day adults exposed during brood development showed a similar degree of reduced calycal volume and impaired behaviour highlighting lasting and irrecoverable effects from exposure despite no adult exposure. Our findings help explain how the onset of pesticide exposure to whole colonies can lead to lag-effects on growth and resultant dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan B Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Andres N Arce
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Ana Ramos Rodrigues
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Philipp H Bischoff
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Daisy Burris
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Farah Ahmed
- Core Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
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Naiara Gomes I, Ingred Castelan Vieira K, Moreira Gontijo L, Canto Resende H. Honeybee survival and flight capacity are compromised by insecticides used for controlling melon pests in Brazil. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:97-107. [PMID: 31832831 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02145-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The extensive use of insecticides can cause adverse side effects on pollinators, which negatively impact crop productivity. The pollination carried out by the honeybee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is crucial in increasing the productivity of the melon (Cucumis melo L.). The main objective of this study was to assess if insecticides applied in the cultivation of cantaloupe melon exhibit significant levels of toxicity toward A. mellifera. We tested the toxicity of azadirachtin, pyriproxyfen, chlorantraniliprole, and imidacloprid, which are commonly sprayed to manage melon pests such as the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), the pickleworm Diaphania nitidalis (Stoll) and the melonworm Diaphania hyalinata (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Three treatments were carried out, 0.0×, 0.1x and 1.0x the concentration recommended by the manufacturer for the control of those pests. Repellency tests, analysis of mortality through contact and ingestion, and flight tests were performed. The insecticide imidacloprid caused mortality rates above 90% in all tested exposure pathways, displaying high residue persistence on plants. Although not causing significant mortality in the ingestion test, pyriproxyfen caused significant mortality after exposure through contact, and change in flight ability. Azadirachtin caused mortality in the ingestion test and impaired the flight ability of bees, while chlorantraniliprole only impaired the flight ability. Moreover, bees were not repelled by these insecticides, suggesting that they may collect contaminated food in the field while foraging. Altogether, ecofriendly, alternative pest control options should be developed, as well as the adoption of more selective insecticides, in order to reduce the non-target effects on honeybees and guarantee their pollination services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Naiara Gomes
- Department of Management and Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems, Federal University of Viçosa-Campus Florestal, Florestal, MG, 35690-000, Brazil
| | - Kamilla Ingred Castelan Vieira
- Department of Management and Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems, Federal University of Viçosa-Campus Florestal, Florestal, MG, 35690-000, Brazil
| | - Lessando Moreira Gontijo
- Department of Management and Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems, Federal University of Viçosa-Campus Florestal, Florestal, MG, 35690-000, Brazil.
| | - Helder Canto Resende
- Department of Management and Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems, Federal University of Viçosa-Campus Florestal, Florestal, MG, 35690-000, Brazil
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19
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Favaro R, Bauer LM, Rossi M, D'Ambrosio L, Bucher E, Angeli S. Botanical Origin of Pesticide Residues in Pollen Loads Collected by Honeybees During and After Apple Bloom. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1069. [PMID: 31620006 PMCID: PMC6759928 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeybees closely rely on insect-pollinated plants for their survival. Each forager bee displays a tendency of loyalty toward specific plant species during the many daily foraging flights. Due to the ease of collection, pollen loads have been extensively used as a proxy for detection of pesticide residues. Pollen is the main protein food source for colonies, and its contamination has also been addressed as a reason for the colony losses phenomenon. As honeybees fly over a variable but wide range territory, they might collect pollen from both agricultural, urban and wild environments, also displaying considerable preferences in botanical sources between colonies of the same apiary. It is thus difficult to address the source of the pesticide contamination, when pollen is analyzed as a whole. In the current study, a practical and reliable approach has been proposed to narrow down the source of contamination. Pollen loads have been collected from colonies placed in eight locations over large apple orchard extensions in Trentino-South Tyrol region (Italy), during and 2 weeks after apple blossom. The pollen loads have been separated by the color due to the predominant plant species. On each color group, palynology and multi-residual chemical analyses have been performed in parallel. The pollen hazard quotient (PHQ) was used to estimate the risk to honeybees of each color group and of the total collected pollen. Apple and dandelion pollen were the main portions of the first collection, while a greater variety emerged after the apple blossom. Dandelion was always present in the samples. The frequency and the amount of pesticide residues differed according to the collection periods, the locations and the pollen color groups. The amount of insecticide residues increased after the apple blossom, while no difference between the period was found on fungicide residues. The PHQ values were higher after the blossom due to the insecticide contribution, with highest values of 160,000 and 150,000. The variations within samples did not allow to identify a unique source of contamination, whereas it seems that the pollen from plants outside the agricultural areas has as much residues as the pollen from apple orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Favaro
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Lisbeth Marie Bauer
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Michele Rossi
- Laboratorio Biologico, Agenzia Provinciale per l'Ambiente e la Tutela del Clima, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Luca D'Ambrosio
- Laboratorio Analisi Alimenti, Agenzia Provinciale per l'Ambiente e la Tutela del Clima, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Edith Bucher
- Laboratorio Biologico, Agenzia Provinciale per l'Ambiente e la Tutela del Clima, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Sergio Angeli
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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20
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Comprehensive Survey of Area-Wide Agricultural Pesticide Use in Southern United States Row Crops and Potential Impact on Honey Bee Colonies. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10090280. [PMID: 31480713 PMCID: PMC6780496 DOI: 10.3390/insects10090280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees forage across a large area, continually scouting the local landscape for ephemeral food resources. Beekeepers often rely on flowering plants in and around irrigated farmland to maintain their colonies during dry seasons, despite the potential risk of pesticide exposure. Recent declines in pollinator abundance and diversity have focused attention on the role of pesticides and their effects on honey bee health. This investigation examined two types of landscapes within a two-mile (3.2 km) radius of honey bee colonies: an intensive agricultural setting and a rural setting without intensive agriculture. More than 10,000 acres of agricultural land was surveyed to quantify the area of cultivated crops and the area treated with pesticides, including seed treatments and foliar applications of insecticides. Samples of honey, bee bread (stored pollen), beeswax, and adult bees were collected from hives in both landscape types and screened for pesticide residues to determine if foraging bees were transporting pesticides to hives. Some samples of bee bread and honey did contain pesticide residues, but these were below known lethal dose (LD50) levels for honey bees. Beeswax samples contained the highest levels of contamination, but most were still relatively low. Samples were screened for 174 common agricultural pesticides and metabolites, but only 26 compounds were detected during the two-year study. These included one defoliant, one insect growth regulator, five herbicides, six fungicides, six insecticides never used in beekeeping, and five insecticides/miticides and their metabolites, which are used in beekeeping and for various other agricultural purposes, as well as two miticides exclusively used by beekeepers to control Varroa destructor. Bee colonies foraging in agricultural landscapes are potentially exposed to numerous pesticide applications. While the residues detected in this study did not pose an acute lethal risk to adult honey bees, this study did not measure sublethal effects on bee colony health or performance, which merit further investigation.
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Coulon M, Schurr F, Martel AC, Cougoule N, Bégaud A, Mangoni P, Di Prisco G, Dalmon A, Alaux C, Ribière-Chabert M, Le Conte Y, Thiéry R, Dubois E. Influence of chronic exposure to thiamethoxam and chronic bee paralysis virus on winter honey bees. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220703. [PMID: 31415597 PMCID: PMC6695216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-exposure to pesticides and viruses is likely to occur in honey bee colonies. Pesticides can be present in pollen, nectar, and persist in stored food (honey and bee bread), and viruses can be highly prevalent in honey bee colonies. Therefore, the present study describes the influence of chronic co-exposure to thiamethoxam and Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) on bee survival, virus loads, expression level of immune and detoxication genes, and pesticide metabolism Experiments were performed on honey bees collected from a winter apiary with reduced viral contaminations. No synergistic effect of co-exposure was observed on bee survival, nor on the ability of bees to metabolise the pesticide into clothianidin. However, we found that co-exposure caused an increase in CBPV loads that reached the viral levels usually found in overt infections. The effect of co-exposure on CBPV replication was associated with down-regulation of vitellogenin and dorsal-1a gene transcription. Nevertheless, the observed effects might be different to those occurring in spring or summer bees, which are more likelyco-exposed to thiamethoxam and CBPV and exhibit a different physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Coulon
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Frank Schurr
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Anne-Claire Martel
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Nicolas Cougoule
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Adrien Bégaud
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Patrick Mangoni
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Gennaro Di Prisco
- University of Napoli “Federico II”—Department of Agriculture, Portici, Napoli, Italy
- CREA, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anne Dalmon
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Cédric Alaux
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | | | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Richard Thiéry
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Eric Dubois
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
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Rouzé R, Moné A, Delbac F, Belzunces L, Blot N. The Honeybee Gut Microbiota Is Altered after Chronic Exposure to Different Families of Insecticides and Infection by Nosema ceranae. Microbes Environ 2019; 34:226-233. [PMID: 31378758 PMCID: PMC6759349 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me18169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut of the European honeybee Apis mellifera is the site of exposure to multiple stressors, such as pathogens and ingested chemicals. Therefore, the gut microbiota, which contributes to host homeostasis, may be altered by these stressors. The abundance of major bacterial taxa in the gut was evaluated in response to infection with the intestinal parasite Nosema ceranae or chronic exposure to low doses of the neurotoxic insecticides coumaphos, fipronil, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid. Experiments were performed under laboratory conditions on adult workers collected from hives in February (winter bees) and July (summer bees) and revealed season-dependent changes in the bacterial community composition. N. ceranae and a lethal fipronil treatment increased the relative abundance of both Gilliamella apicola and Snodgrassella alvi in surviving winter honeybees. The parasite and a sublethal exposure to all insecticides decreased the abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. regardless of the season. The similar effects induced by insecticides belonging to distinct molecular families suggested a shared and indirect mode of action on the gut microbiota, possibly through aspecific alterations in gut homeostasis. These results demonstrate that infection and chronic exposure to low concentrations of insecticides may affect the honeybee holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Rouzé
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement"
| | - Anne Moné
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement"
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement"
| | | | - Nicolas Blot
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement"
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Morawetz L, Köglberger H, Griesbacher A, Derakhshifar I, Crailsheim K, Brodschneider R, Moosbeckhofer R. Health status of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) and disease-related risk factors for colony losses in Austria. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219293. [PMID: 31287830 PMCID: PMC6615611 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Austrian beekeepers frequently suffered severe colony losses during the last decade similar to trends all over Europe. This first surveillance study aimed to describe the health status of Austrian bee colonies and to analyze the reasons for losses for both the summer and winter season in Austria. In this study 189 apiaries all over Austria were selected using a stratified random sampling approach and inspected three times between July 2015 and spring 2016 by trained bee inspectors. The inspectors made interviews with the beekeepers about their beekeeping practice and the history of the involved colonies. They inspected a total of 1596 colonies for symptoms of nine bee pests and diseases (four of them notifiable diseases) and took bee samples for varroa mite infestation analysis. The most frequently detected diseases were three brood diseases: Varroosis, Chalkbrood and Sacbrood. The notifiable bee pests Aethina tumida and Tropilaelaps spp. were not detected. During the study period 10.8% of the 1596 observed colonies died. Winter proved to be the most critical season, in which 75% of the reported colony losses happened. Risks for suffering summer losses increased significantly, when colonies were weak in July, had queen problems or a high varroa mite infestation level on bees in July. Risks for suffering winter losses increased significantly, when the colonies had a high varroa mite infestation level on bees in September, were weak in September, had a queen older than one year or the beekeeper had few years of beekeeping experience. However, the effect of a high varroa mite infestation level in September had by far the greatest potential to raise the winter losses compared to the other significant factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linde Morawetz
- Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection, Institute for Seed and Propagating Material, Phytosanitary Service and Apiculture, Division for Food Security, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd., Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Hemma Köglberger
- Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection, Institute for Seed and Propagating Material, Phytosanitary Service and Apiculture, Division for Food Security, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd., Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antonia Griesbacher
- Department for Statistics and Analytical Epidemiology, Division for Data, Statistics & Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd., Graz, Styria, Austria
| | - Irmgard Derakhshifar
- Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection, Institute for Seed and Propagating Material, Phytosanitary Service and Apiculture, Division for Food Security, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd., Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl Crailsheim
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Styria, Austria
| | | | - Rudolf Moosbeckhofer
- Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection, Institute for Seed and Propagating Material, Phytosanitary Service and Apiculture, Division for Food Security, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd., Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Late effect of larval co-exposure to the insecticide clothianidin and fungicide pyraclostrobin in Africanized Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3277. [PMID: 30824742 PMCID: PMC6397237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39383-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the factors that contribute to the reduction of honeybee populations are the pesticides. These chemical compounds reach the hive through forager bees, and once there, they can be ingested by the larvae. We evaluated the effects of repeated larval exposure to neonicotinoid insecticide, both in isolation and in combination with strobilurin fungicide, at environmentally relevant doses. The total consumption of the contaminated diet was 23.63 ng fungicide/larvae (pyraclostrobin) and 0.2364 ng insecticide/larvae (clothianidin). The effects on post-embryonic development were evaluated over time. Additionally, we assessed the survival pattern of worker bees after emergence, and the pesticides’ effects on the behavior of newly emerged workers and young workers. Young bees that were exposed to the fungicide and those subjected to co-exposure to both pesticides during larval phase showed behavioral changes. The insecticide, both in isolation and in combination with fungicide reduced the bees’ longevity; this effect of larval exposure to pesticides was stronger in bees that were exposed only to the insecticide. Although the larvae did not have sensitivity to exposure to pesticides, they showed later effects after emergence, which may compromise the dynamics of the colony, contributing to the reduction of the populations of bees in agroecosystems.
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25
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Honey Bee Exposure to Pesticides: A Four-Year Nationwide Study. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10010013. [PMID: 30626027 PMCID: PMC6359572 DOI: 10.3390/insects10010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pollinators, including honey bees, are responsible for the successful reproduction of more than 87% of flowering plant species: they are thus vital to ecosystem health and agricultural services world-wide. To investigate honey bee exposure to pesticides, 168 pollen samples and 142 wax comb samples were collected from colonies within six stationary apiaries in six U.S. states. These samples were analyzed for evidence of pesticides. Samples were taken bi-weekly when each colony was active. Each apiary included thirty colonies, of which five randomly chosen colonies in each apiary were sampled for pollen. The pollen samples were separately pooled by apiary. There were a total of 714 detections in the collected pollen and 1008 detections in collected wax. A total of 91 different compounds were detected: of these, 79 different pesticides and metabolites were observed in the pollen and 56 were observed in the wax. In all years, insecticides were detected more frequently than were fungicides or herbicides: one third of the detected pesticides were found only in pollen. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) number of detections per pooled pollen sample varied by location from 1.1 (1.1) to 8.7 (2.1). Ten different modes of action were found across all four years and nine additional modes of action occurred in only one year. If synergy in toxicological response is a function of simultaneous occurrence of multiple distinct modes of action, then a high frequency of potential synergies was found in pollen and wax-comb samples. Because only pooled pollen samples were obtained from each apiary, and these from only five colonies per apiary per year, more data are needed to adequately evaluate the differences in pesticide exposure risk to honey bees among colonies in the same apiary and by year and location.
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26
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Fine JD, Shpigler HY, Ray AM, Beach NJ, Sankey AL, Cash-Ahmed A, Huang ZY, Astrauskaite I, Chao R, Zhao H, Robinson GE. Quantifying the effects of pollen nutrition on honey bee queen egg laying with a new laboratory system. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203444. [PMID: 30183759 PMCID: PMC6124782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee populations have been declining precipitously over the past decade, and multiple causative factors have been identified. Recent research indicates that these frequently co-occurring stressors interact, often in unpredictable ways, therefore it has become important to develop robust methods to assess their effects both in isolation and in combination. Most such efforts focus on honey bee workers, but the state of a colony also depends on the health and productivity of its queen. However, it is much more difficult to quantify the performance of queens relative to workers in the field, and there are no laboratory assays for queen performance. Here, we present a new system to monitor honey bee queen egg laying under laboratory conditions and report the results of experiments showing the effects of pollen nutrition on egg laying. These findings suggest that queen egg laying and worker physiology can be manipulated in this system through pollen nutrition, which is consistent with findings from field colonies. The results generated using this controlled, laboratory-based system suggest that worker physiology controls queen egg laying behavior. Additionally, the quantitative data generated in these experiments highlight the utility of the system for further use as a risk assessment tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Fine
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Hagai Y. Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Allyson M. Ray
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Nathanael J. Beach
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Alison L. Sankey
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Amy Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Zachary Y. Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States of America
| | - Ieva Astrauskaite
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Ran Chao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- LifeFoundry, Inc., Champaign, United States of America
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Lämsä J, Kuusela E, Tuomi J, Juntunen S, Watts PC. Low dose of neonicotinoid insecticide reduces foraging motivation of bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180506. [PMID: 30051863 PMCID: PMC6083263 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid, is often associated with diminishing populations of bees; this loss of pollinators presents a concern for food security and may cause unpredictable changes in ecological networks. However, little is known about the potential behavioural mechanisms behind the neonicotinoid-associated pollinator decline. We quantified the effects of low-dose (1 ppb) imidacloprid exposure on the foraging behaviour of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Individual bumblebees were released into a flight arena containing three patches of robotic flowers whose colour (yellow, orange, blue) indicated whether the flower delivered a reward (sugar solution). Exposure to imidacloprid had no significant effect on measures of bumblebee physical performance (such as flight speed) or learning (identifying rewarding flowers). However, pesticide-treated bumblebees had reduced foraging motivation compared with the control bumblebees, as they visited fewer robotic flowers, were slower to start foraging and did not visit all three flower colours as often. Neonicotinoid concentrations of 1 ppb, often reported in plant nectar near agricultural lands, can thus affect the foraging behaviour of bumblebees. Even without a notable impact on flight performance and learning, a reduction in foraging motivation could explain the poor performance of colonies of bumblebees exposed to neonicotinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juho Lämsä
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Erno Kuusela
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Juha Tuomi
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Sini Juntunen
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Phillip C Watts
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
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28
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Böhme F, Bischoff G, Zebitz CPW, Rosenkranz P, Wallner K. Pesticide residue survey of pollen loads collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera) in daily intervals at three agricultural sites in South Germany. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199995. [PMID: 29979756 PMCID: PMC6034819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In agricultural landscapes honeybees and other pollinators are exposed to pesticides, often surveyed by residue analysis of bee bread. However, bee bread is a mixture of pollen pellets of different plants collected over a longer time period. Therefore, pesticide content in the hive varies with plant species and time of pollen collection. Hence, the analysis of bee bread is an approximate approach to gain information on detailed pesticide exposure during the agronomic active season. As high-resolution data is missing, we carried out a pesticide residue survey over five years (2012–2016) of daily collected pollen pellets at three agricultural distinct sites in southern Germany. 281 single day pollen samples were selected and subjected to a multi-pesticide residue analysis. Pesticide contaminations of pollen differed between the sites. Intensive pesticide exposure can be seen by high pesticide concentrations as well as a high amount of different pesticides detected. During the five years of observation 73 different pesticides were found, of which 84% are characterized as non-harmful to honeybees. To estimate pesticide risks for honeybees, the pollen hazard quotient (PHQ) was calculated. Even though pesticides were detected in sublethal concentrations, we found substances not supposed to be exposed to honey bees, indicating the necessity for further improvement of seed treatments and increasing awareness of flowering shrubs, field margins and pesticide drift. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of nine pollen samples, divided into sub-fractions dominated by single plant species, revealed even higher concentrations in single crops for some pesticides. We give precise residue data of 1,657 single pesticide detections, which should be used for realistic laboratory and field tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Böhme
- University of Hohenheim, Apicultural State Institute, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gabriela Bischoff
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Institute for Bee Protection, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claus P W Zebitz
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Phytomedicine, Applied Entomology, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Peter Rosenkranz
- University of Hohenheim, Apicultural State Institute, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Klaus Wallner
- University of Hohenheim, Apicultural State Institute, Stuttgart, Germany
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29
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Ruiz-Toledo J, Vandame R, Castro-Chan RA, Penilla-Navarro RP, Gómez J, Sánchez D. Organochlorine Pesticides in Honey and Pollen Samples from Managed Colonies of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera Linnaeus and the Stingless Bee Scaptotrigona mexicana Guérin from Southern, Mexico. INSECTS 2018; 9:E54. [PMID: 29748485 PMCID: PMC6023274 DOI: 10.3390/insects9020054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we show the results of investigating the presence of organochlorine pesticides in honey and pollen samples from managed colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. and of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona mexicana Guérin. Three colonies of each species were moved into each of two sites. Three samples of pollen and three samples of honey were collected from each colony: the first collection occurred at the beginning of the study and the following ones at every six months during a year. Thus the total number of samples collected was 36 for honey (18 for A. mellifera and 18 for S. mexicana) and 36 for pollen (18 for A. mellifera and 18 for S. mexicana). We found that 88.44% and 93.33% of honey samples, and 22.22% and 100% of pollen samples of S. mexicana and A. mellifera, respectively, resulted positive to at least one organochlorine. The most abundant pesticides were Heptaclor (44% of the samples), γ-HCH (36%), DDT (19%), Endrin (18%) and DDE (11%). Despite the short foraging range of S. mexicana, the number of pesticides quantified in the honey samples was similar to that of A. mellifera. Paradoxically we found a small number of organochlorines in pollen samples of S. mexicana in comparison to A. mellifera, perhaps indicating a low abundance of pollen sources within the foraging range of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovani Ruiz-Toledo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Tapachula, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Rémy Vandame
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad San Cristóbal de las Casas, Periférico Sur s/n, María Auxiliadora, San Cristóbal de Las Casas 29290, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Ricardo Alberto Castro-Chan
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Tapachula, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Rosa Patricia Penilla-Navarro
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Laboratorio de Resistencia a Insecticidas, 4a. Norte y 19 Calle Poniente S/N, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Jaime Gómez
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Tapachula, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Daniel Sánchez
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Tapachula, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km 2.5, Tapachula 30700, Chiapas, Mexico.
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30
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Woodcock BA, Ridding L, Freeman SN, Pereira MG, Sleep D, Redhead J, Aston D, Carreck NL, Shore RF, Bullock JM, Heard MS, Pywell RF. Neonicotinoid residues in UK honey despite European Union moratorium. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189681. [PMID: 29298300 PMCID: PMC5751988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to concerns over negative impacts on insect pollinators, the European Union has implemented a moratorium on the use of three neonicotinoid pesticide seed dressings for mass-flowering crops. We assessed the effectiveness of this policy in reducing the exposure risk to honeybees by collecting 130 samples of honey from bee keepers across the UK before (2014: N = 21) and after the moratorium was in effect (2015: N = 109). Neonicotinoids were present in about half of the honey samples taken before the moratorium, and they were present in over a fifth of honey samples following the moratorium. Clothianidin was the most frequently detected neonicotinoid. Neonicotinoid concentrations declined from May to September in the year following the ban. However, the majority of post-moratorium neonicotinoid residues were from honey harvested early in the year, coinciding with oilseed rape flowering. Neonicotinoid concentrations were correlated with the area of oilseed rape surrounding the hive location. These results suggest mass flowering crops may contain neonicotinoid residues where they have been grown on soils contaminated by previously seed treated crops. This may include winter seed treatments applied to cereals that are currently exempt from EU restrictions. Although concentrations of neonicotinoids were low (<2.0 ng g-1), and posed no risk to human health, they may represent a continued risk to honeybees through long-term chronic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben A. Woodcock
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Ridding
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen N. Freeman
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - M. Gloria Pereira
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Darren Sleep
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - John Redhead
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - David Aston
- BBKA Technical and Environmental Committee, The British Beekeepers Association, The National Beekeeping Centre, National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
| | - Norman L. Carreck
- Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex
| | - Richard F. Shore
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - James M. Bullock
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew S. Heard
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Richard F. Pywell
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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31
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Colwell MJ, Williams GR, Evans RC, Shutler D. Honey bee-collected pollen in agro-ecosystems reveals diet diversity, diet quality, and pesticide exposure. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7243-7253. [PMID: 28944014 PMCID: PMC5606875 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
European honey bees Apis mellifera are important commercial pollinators that have suffered greater than normal overwintering losses since 2007 in North America and Europe. Contributing factors likely include a combination of parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition. We examined diet diversity, diet nutritional quality, and pesticides in honey bee-collected pollen from commercial colonies in the Canadian Maritime Provinces in spring and summer 2011. We sampled pollen collected by honey bees at colonies in four site types: apple orchards, blueberry fields, cranberry bogs, and fallow fields. Proportion of honey bee-collected pollen from crop versus noncrop flowers was high in apple, very low in blueberry, and low in cranberry sites. Pollen nutritional value tended to be relatively good from apple and cranberry sites and poor from blueberry and fallow sites. Floral surveys ranked, from highest to lowest in diversity, fallow, cranberry, apple, and blueberry sites. Pesticide diversity in honey bee-collected pollen was high from apple and blueberry sites and low from cranberry and fallow sites. Four different neonicotinoid pesticides were detected, but neither these nor any other pesticides were at or above LD50 levels. Pollen hazard quotients were highest in apple and blueberry sites and lowest in fallow sites. Pollen hazard quotients were also negatively correlated with the number of flower taxa detected in surveys. Results reveal differences among site types in diet diversity, diet quality, and pesticide exposure that are informative for improving honey bee and land agro-ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Colwell
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada.,Present address: Department of Entomology University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB Canada R3T 2N2
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada.,Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax NS Canada.,Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre Bern Switzerland.,Present address: Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Rodger C Evans
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
| | - Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
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32
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Simon-Delso N, San Martin G, Bruneau E, Delcourt C, Hautier L. The challenges of predicting pesticide exposure of honey bees at landscape level. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3801. [PMID: 28630412 PMCID: PMC5476569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03467-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
To evaluate the risks of pesticides for pollinators, we must not only evaluate their toxicity but also understand how pollinators are exposed to these xenobiotics in the field. We focused on this last point and modeled honey bee exposure to pesticides at the landscape level. Pollen pellet samples (n = 60) from 40 Belgian apiaries were collected from late July to October 2011 and underwent palynological and pesticide residue analyses. Areas of various crops around each apiary were measured at 4 spatial scales. The most frequently detected pesticides were the fungicides boscalid (n = 19, 31.7%) and pyrimethanil (n = 10, 16.7%) and the insecticide dimethoate (n = 10, 16.7%). We were able to predict exposure probability for boscalid and dimethoate by using broad indicators of cropping intensity, but it remained difficult to identify the precise source of contamination (e.g. specific crops in which the use of the pesticide is authorized). For pyrimethanil, we were not able to build any convincing landscape model that could explain the contamination. Our results, combined with the late sampling period, strongly suggest that pesticides applied to crops unattractive to pollinators, and therefore considered of no risk for them, may be sources of exposure through weeds, drift to neighboring plants, or succeeding crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Simon-Delso
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre (CARI), Place Croix du Sud 1, Bte L7.04.01 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Gilles San Martin
- Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Life Sciences Department, Plant Protection and Ecotoxicology Unit, Rue de Liroux, 2, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Etienne Bruneau
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre (CARI), Place Croix du Sud 1, Bte L7.04.01 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Christine Delcourt
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre (CARI), Place Croix du Sud 1, Bte L7.04.01 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Louis Hautier
- Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Life Sciences Department, Plant Protection and Ecotoxicology Unit, Rue de Liroux, 2, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium
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33
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McArt SH, Fersch AA, Milano NJ, Truitt LL, Böröczky K. High pesticide risk to honey bees despite low focal crop pollen collection during pollination of a mass blooming crop. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46554. [PMID: 28422139 PMCID: PMC5396195 DOI: 10.1038/srep46554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees provide critical pollination services for many agricultural crops. While the contribution of pesticides to current hive loss rates is debated, remarkably little is known regarding the magnitude of risk to bees and mechanisms of exposure during pollination. Here, we show that pesticide risk in recently accumulated beebread was above regulatory agency levels of concern for acute or chronic exposure at 5 and 22 of the 30 apple orchards, respectively, where we placed 120 experimental hives. Landscape context strongly predicted focal crop pollen foraging and total pesticide residues, which were dominated by fungicides. Yet focal crop pollen foraging was a poor predictor of pesticide risk, which was driven primarily by insecticides. Instead, risk was positively related to diversity of non-focal crop pollen sources. Furthermore, over 60% of pesticide risk was attributed to pesticides that were not sprayed during the apple bloom period. These results suggest the majority of pesticide risk to honey bees providing pollination services came from residues in non-focal crop pollen, likely contaminated wildflowers or other sources. We suggest a greater understanding of the specific mechanisms of non-focal crop pesticide exposure is essential for minimizing risk to bees and improving the sustainability of grower pest management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott H. McArt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ashley A. Fersch
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Nelson J. Milano
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Lauren L. Truitt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Katalin Böröczky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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34
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Ko CY, Chen YW, Nai YS. Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28447982 DOI: 10.3791/55296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of pesticides in the beekeeping environment is one of the most serious problems that impacts the life of a honey bee. Pesticides can be brought back to the beehive after the bees have foraged on flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides. Pesticide contaminated food can be exchanged between workers which then feed larvae and therefore can potentially affect the development of honey bees. Thus, residual pesticides in the environment can become a chronic damaging factor to honey bee populations and gradually lead to colony collapse. In the presented protocol, honey bee feeding methods are described and applied to either an individual honey bee or to a colony. Here, the insect growth regulator (IGR) pyriproxyfen (PPN), which is widely used to control pest insects and is harmful to the development of honey bee larvae and pupae, is used as the pesticide. The presenting procedure can be applied to other potentially harmful chemicals or honeybee pathogens for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong-Yu Ko
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University
| | - Yue-Wen Chen
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University;
| | - Yu-Shin Nai
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University;
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35
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Fine JD, Cox-Foster DL, Mullin CA. An Inert Pesticide Adjuvant Synergizes Viral Pathogenicity and Mortality in Honey Bee Larvae. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40499. [PMID: 28091574 PMCID: PMC5238421 DOI: 10.1038/srep40499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are highly valued for their pollination services in agricultural settings, and recent declines in managed populations have caused concern. Colony losses following a major pollination event in the United States, almond pollination, have been characterized by brood mortality with specific symptoms, followed by eventual colony loss weeks later. In this study, we demonstrate that these symptoms can be produced by chronically exposing brood to both an organosilicone surfactant adjuvant (OSS) commonly used on many agricultural crops including wine grapes, tree nuts and tree fruits and exogenous viral pathogens by simulating a horizontal transmission event. Observed synergistic mortality occurred during the larval-pupal molt. Using q-PCR techniques to measure gene expression and viral levels in larvae taken prior to observed mortality at metamorphosis, we found that exposure to OSS and exogenous virus resulted in significantly heightened Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) titers and lower expression of a Toll 7-like-receptor associated with autophagic viral defense (Am18w). These results demonstrate that organosilicone spray adjuvants that are considered biologically inert potentiate viral pathogenicity in honey bee larvae, and guidelines for OSS use may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D Fine
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Diana L Cox-Foster
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,USDA-ARS-PWA Pollinating Insect Research Unit, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Christopher A Mullin
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Levels of Selected Persistent Organic Pollutants (PCB, PBDE) and Pesticides in Honey Bee Pollen Sampled in Poland. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167487. [PMID: 27907097 PMCID: PMC5132244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical plant protection is a commonly discussed factor potentially responsible for decline in pollinators and other beneficial insect populations. Various groups of chemicals including persistent organic pollutants could impact a bee colony's welfare and are reported to be present in bee tissue and apiary products. The aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of selected persistent organic pollutant and pesticide residues in bee pollen originating from different geographical regions of Poland. Pesticide residues were identified in 60% of tested bee pollen samples. The compounds identified were mainly active ingredients of fungicide preparations. Insecticide active ingredients were up to 30% of the identified residues. The triazole fungicide tebuconazole and the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid were the most frequently found pesticides in pollen. The highest pesticide concentration was determined for prothioconazole (356 μg kg-1). Mean concentrations of chlorinated biphenyls-EC6 and EC12 were 194 pg g-1 and 74 pg g-1, respectively. CB # 28 has the greatest share in the EC6 profile (mean 61 pg g-1, 31% contribution). Relatively high contributions were also observed for CBs # 101 (35 pg g-1, 18%), # 138 (36 pg g-1, 19%) and # 153 (33 pg g-1, 17%). CB # 114 and 118 have the highest share in the dioxin-like biphenyls fraction with mean concentrations of 17.6 and 37.6 pg g-1 (respectively 23 and 50%). Mean calculated concentrations of 39 polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (Σ39 BDE) were 20 ± 27.7 pg g-1. High variability was observed between maximal and minimal determined concentration values. Individual BDEs were found at different frequencies and varying concentration levels. BDEs # 47, 75 and 99 dominated the profile with average concentrations of 3 pg g-1, 3.1 pg g-1, and 2.9 pg g-1, respectively.
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Sekulic G, Rempel CB. Evaluating the Role of Seed Treatments in Canola/Oilseed Rape Production: Integrated Pest Management, Pollinator Health, and Biodiversity. PLANTS 2016; 5:plants5030032. [PMID: 27527233 PMCID: PMC5039740 DOI: 10.3390/plants5030032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The use patterns and role of insecticide seed treatments, with focus on neonicotinoid insecticides, were examined for canola/oilseed rape production in Canada and the EU. Since nearly all planted canola acres in Western Canada and, historically, a majority of planted oilseed acres in the EU, use seed treatments, it is worth examining whether broad use of insecticidal seed treatments (IST) is compatible with principles of integrated pest management (IPM). The neonicotinoid insecticide (NNI) seed treatment (NNI ST) use pattern has risen due to effective control of several early season insect pests, the most destructive being flea beetles (Phyllotreta sp.). Negative environmental impact and poor efficacy of foliar applied insecticides on flea beetles led growers to look for better alternatives. Due to their biology, predictive models have been difficult to develop for flea beetles, and, therefore, targeted application of seed treatments, as part of an IPM program, has contributed to grower profitability and overall pollinator success for canola production in Western Canada. Early evidence suggests that the recent restriction on NNI may negatively impact grower profitability and does not appear to be having positive impact on pollinator health. Further investigation on impact of NNI on individual bee vs. hive health need to be conducted. Predictive models for flea beetle emergence/feeding activity in canola/oilseed rape need to be developed, as broad acre deployment of NNI seed treatments may not be sustainable due to concerns about resistance/tolerance in flea beetles and other pest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Sekulic
- Canola Council of Canada, 400-167 Lombard Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0T6, Canada.
| | - Curtis B Rempel
- Canola Council of Canada, 400-167 Lombard Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0T6, Canada.
- Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Ellis Building, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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Long EY, Krupke CH. Non-cultivated plants present a season-long route of pesticide exposure for honey bees. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11629. [PMID: 27240870 PMCID: PMC4895021 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent efforts to evaluate the contribution of neonicotinoid insecticides to worldwide pollinator declines have focused on honey bees and the chronic levels of exposure experienced when foraging on crops grown from neonicotinoid-treated seeds. However, few studies address non-crop plants as a potential route of pollinator exposure to neonicotinoid and other insecticides. Here we show that pollen collected by honey bee foragers in maize- and soybean-dominated landscapes is contaminated throughout the growing season with multiple agricultural pesticides, including the neonicotinoids used as seed treatments. Notably, however, the highest levels of contamination in pollen are pyrethroid insecticides targeting mosquitoes and other nuisance pests. Furthermore, pollen from crop plants represents only a tiny fraction of the total diversity of pollen resources used by honey bees in these landscapes, with the principle sources of pollen originating from non-cultivated plants. These findings provide fundamental information about the foraging habits of honey bees in these landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Y. Long
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA
| | - Christian H. Krupke
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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Garrido PM, Porrini MP, Antúnez K, Branchiccela B, Martínez-Noël GMA, Zunino P, Salerno G, Eguaras MJ, Ieno E. Sublethal effects of acaricides and Nosema ceranae infection on immune related gene expression in honeybees. Vet Res 2016; 47:51. [PMID: 27118545 PMCID: PMC4847213 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite and the etiologic agent of Nosemosis that affects honeybees. Beside the stress caused by this pathogen, honeybee colonies are exposed to pesticides under beekeeper intervention, such as acaricides to control Varroa mites. These compounds can accumulate at high concentrations in apicultural matrices. In this work, the effects of parasitosis/acaricide on genes involved in honeybee immunity and survival were evaluated. Nurse bees were infected with N. ceranae and/or were chronically treated with sublethal doses of coumaphos or tau-fluvalinate, the two most abundant pesticides recorded in productive hives. Our results demonstrate the following: (1) honeybee survival was not affected by any of the treatments; (2) parasite development was not altered by acaricide treatments; (3) coumaphos exposure decreased lysozyme expression; (4) N. ceranae reduced levels of vitellogenin transcripts independently of the presence of acaricides. However, combined effects among stressors on imagoes were not recorded. Sublethal doses of acaricides and their interaction with other ubiquitous parasites in colonies, extending the experimental time, are of particular interest in further research work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Melisa Garrido
- />Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata–CONICET, Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Martín Pablo Porrini
- />Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata–CONICET, Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Karina Antúnez
- />Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Belén Branchiccela
- />Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Pablo Zunino
- />Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Graciela Salerno
- />Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC-CONICET), CIB-FIBA, Mar Del Plata, Argentina
| | - Martín Javier Eguaras
- />Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata–CONICET, Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Elena Ieno
- />Highland Statistics, 03130 Alicante, Spain
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Guseman AJ, Miller K, Kunkle G, Dively GP, Pettis JS, Evans JD, vanEngelsdorp D, Hawthorne DJ. Multi-Drug Resistance Transporters and a Mechanism-Based Strategy for Assessing Risks of Pesticide Combinations to Honey Bees. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148242. [PMID: 26840460 PMCID: PMC4740413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Annual losses of honey bee colonies remain high and pesticide exposure is one possible cause. Dangerous combinations of pesticides, plant-produced compounds and antibiotics added to hives may cause or contribute to losses, but it is very difficult to test the many combinations of those compounds that bees encounter. We propose a mechanism-based strategy for simplifying the assessment of combinations of compounds, focusing here on compounds that interact with xenobiotic handling ABC transporters. We evaluate the use of ivermectin as a model substrate for these transporters. Compounds that increase sensitivity of bees to ivermectin may be inhibiting key transporters. We show that several compounds commonly encountered by honey bees (fumagillin, Pristine, quercetin) significantly increased honey bee mortality due to ivermectin and significantly reduced the LC50 of ivermectin suggesting that they may interfere with transporter function. These inhibitors also significantly increased honey bees sensitivity to the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid. This mechanism-based strategy may dramatically reduce the number of tests needed to assess the possibility of adverse combinations among pesticides. We also demonstrate an in vivo transporter assay that provides physical evidence of transporter inhibition by tracking the dynamics of a fluorescent substrate of these transporters (Rhodamine B) in bee tissues. Significantly more Rhodamine B remains in the head and hemolymph of bees pretreated with higher concentrations of the transporter inhibitor verapamil. Mechanism-based strategies for simplifying the assessment of adverse chemical interactions such as described here could improve our ability to identify those combinations that pose significantly greater risk to bees and perhaps improve the risk assessment protocols for honey bees and similar sensitive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Guseman
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kaliah Miller
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Grace Kunkle
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Galen P. Dively
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey S. Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Evans
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David J. Hawthorne
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kataria SK, Chhillar AK, Kumar A, Tomar M, Malik V. Cytogenetic and hematological alterations induced by acute oral exposure of imidacloprid in female mice. Drug Chem Toxicol 2015; 39:59-65. [DOI: 10.3109/01480545.2015.1026972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Krischik V, Rogers M, Gupta G, Varshney A. Soil-applied imidacloprid translocates to ornamental flowers and reduces survival of adult Coleomegilla maculata, Harmonia axyridis, and Hippodamia convergens lady beetles, and larval Danaus plexippus and Vanessa cardui butterflies. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119133. [PMID: 25799432 PMCID: PMC4370578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a decision making process used to manage pests that relies on many tactics, including cultural and biological control, which are practices that conserve beneficial insects and mites, and when needed, the use of conventional insecticides. However, systemic, soil-applied neonicotinoid insecticides are translocated to pollen and nectar of flowers, often for months, and may reduce survival of flower-feeding beneficial insects. Imidacloprid seed-treated crops (0.05 mg AI (active ingredient) /canola seed and 1.2 mg AI/corn seed) translocate less than 10 ppb to pollen and nectar. However, higher rates of soil-applied imidacloprid are used in nurseries and urban landscapes, such as 300 mg AI/10 L (3 gallon) pot and 69 g AI applied to the soil under a 61 (24 in) cm diam. tree. Translocation of imidacloprid from soil (300 mg AI) to flowers of Asclepias curassavica resulted in 6,030 ppb in 1X and 10,400 ppb in 2X treatments, which are similar to imidacloprid residues found in another plant species we studied. A second imidacloprid soil application 7 months later resulted in 21,000 ppb in 1X and 45,000 ppb in 2X treatments. Consequently, greenhouse/nursery use of imidacloprid applied to flowering plants can result in 793 to 1,368 times higher concentration compared to an imidacloprid seed treatment (7.6 ppb pollen in seed- treated canola), where most research has focused. These higher imidacloprid levels caused significant mortality in both 1X and 2X treatments in 3 lady beetle species, Coleomegilla maculata, Harmonia axyridis, and Hippodamia convergens, but not a fourth species, Coccinella septempunctata. Adult survival were not reduced for monarch, Danaus plexippus and painted lady, Vanessa cardui, butterflies, but larval survival was significantly reduced. The use of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid at greenhouse/nursery rates reduced survival of beneficial insects feeding on pollen and nectar and is incompatible with the principles of IPM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Krischik
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Mary Rogers
- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Garima Gupta
- Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Aruna Varshney
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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Dively GP, Embrey MS, Kamel A, Hawthorne DJ, Pettis JS. Assessment of chronic sublethal effects of imidacloprid on honey bee colony health. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118748. [PMID: 25786127 PMCID: PMC4364903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present results of a three-year study to determine the fate of imidacloprid residues in hive matrices and to assess chronic sublethal effects on whole honey bee colonies fed supplemental pollen diet containing imidacloprid at 5, 20 and 100 μg/kg over multiple brood cycles. Various endpoints of colony performance and foraging behavior were measured during and after exposure, including winter survival. Imidacloprid residues became diluted or non-detectable within colonies due to the processing of beebread and honey and the rapid metabolism of the chemical. Imidacloprid exposure doses up to 100 μg/kg had no significant effects on foraging activity or other colony performance indicators during and shortly after exposure. Diseases and pest species did not affect colony health but infestations of Varroa mites were significantly higher in exposed colonies. Honey stores indicated that exposed colonies may have avoided the contaminated food. Imidacloprid dose effects was delayed later in the summer, when colonies exposed to 20 and 100 μg/kg experienced higher rates of queen failure and broodless periods, which led to weaker colonies going into the winter. Pooled over two years, winter survival of colonies averaged 85.7, 72.4, 61.2 and 59.2% in the control, 5, 20 and 100 μg/kg treatment groups, respectively. Analysis of colony survival data showed a significant dose effect, and all contrast tests comparing survival between control and treatment groups were significant, except for colonies exposed to 5 μg/kg. Given the weight of evidence, chronic exposure to imidacloprid at the higher range of field doses (20 to 100 μg/kg) in pollen of certain treated crops could cause negative impacts on honey bee colony health and reduced overwintering success, but the most likely encountered high range of field doses relevant for seed-treated crops (5 μg/kg) had negligible effects on colony health and are unlikely a sole cause of colony declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen P. Dively
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Embrey
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Alaa Kamel
- Analytical Chemistry Branch, Biological and Economic Analysis Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, US EPA, Fort George G. Meade, MD, United States of America
| | - David J. Hawthorne
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
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Tarpy DR, Delaney DA, Seeley TD. Mating frequencies of honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.) in a population of feral colonies in the Northeastern United States. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118734. [PMID: 25775410 PMCID: PMC4361586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Across their introduced range in North America, populations of feral honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies have supposedly declined in recent decades as a result of exotic parasites, most notably the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. Nonetheless, recent studies have documented several wild populations of colonies that have persisted. The extreme polyandry of honey bee queens-and the increased intracolony genetic diversity it confers-has been attributed, in part, to improved disease resistance and may be a factor in the survival of these populations of feral colonies. We estimated the mating frequencies of queens in feral colonies in the Arnot Forest in New York State to determine if the level of polyandry of these queens is especially high and so might contribute to their survival success. We genotyped the worker offspring from 10 feral colonies in the Arnot Forest of upstate New York, as well as those from 20 managed colonies closest to this forest. We found no significant differences in mean mating frequency between the feral and managed queens, suggesting that queens in the remote, low-density population of colonies in the Arnot Forest are neither mate-limited nor adapted to mate at an especially high frequency. These findings support the hypothesis that the hyperpolyandry of honey bees has been shaped on an evolutionary timescale rather than on an ecological one.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Tarpy
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Deborah A. Delaney
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Thomas D. Seeley
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Schaafsma A, Limay-Rios V, Baute T, Smith J, Xue Y. Neonicotinoid insecticide residues in surface water and soil associated with commercial maize (corn) fields in southwestern Ontario. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118139. [PMID: 25710560 PMCID: PMC4339550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoid insecticides have come under scrutiny for their potential unintended effects on non-target organisms, particularly pollinators in agro-ecosystems. As part of a larger study of neonicotinoid residues associated with maize (corn) production, 76 water samples within or around the perimeter of 18 commercial maize fields and neighbouring apiaries were collected in 5 maize-producing counties of southwestern Ontario. Residues of clothianidin (mean = 2.28, max. = 43.60 ng/mL) and thiamethoxam (mean = 1.12, max. = 16.50 ng/mL) were detected in 100 and 98.7% of the water samples tested, respectively. The concentration of total neonicotinoid residues in water within maize fields increased six-fold during the first five weeks after planting, and returned to pre-plant levels seven weeks after planting. However, concentrations in water sampled from outside the fields were similar throughout the sampling period. Soil samples from the top 5 cm of the soil profile were also collected in these fields before and immediately following planting. The mean total neonicotinoid residue was 4.02 (range 0.07 to 20.30) ng/g, for samples taken before planting, and 9.94 (range 0.53 to 38.98) ng/g, for those taken immediately after planting. Two soil samples collected from within an conservation area contained detectable (0.03 and 0.11 ng/g) concentrations of clothianidin. Of three drifted snow samples taken, the drift stratum containing the most wind-scoured soil had 0.16 and 0.20 ng/mL mainly clothianidin in the melted snow. The concentration was at the limit of detection (0.02 ng/mL) taken across the entire vertical profile. With the exception of one sample, water samples tested had concentrations below those reported to have acute, chronic or sublethal effects to honey bees. Our results suggest that neonicotinoids may move off-target by wind erosion of contaminated soil. These results are informative to risk assessment models for other non-target species in maize agro-ecosytems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Schaafsma
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | - Victor Limay-Rios
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | - Tracey Baute
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | - Jocelyn Smith
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | - Yingen Xue
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
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Bonmatin JM, Giorio C, Girolami V, Goulson D, Kreutzweiser DP, Krupke C, Liess M, Long E, Marzaro M, Mitchell EAD, Noome DA, Simon-Delso N, Tapparo A. Environmental fate and exposure; neonicotinoids and fipronil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:35-67. [PMID: 25096486 PMCID: PMC4284396 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 686] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Systemic insecticides are applied to plants using a wide variety of methods, ranging from foliar sprays to seed treatments and soil drenches. Neonicotinoids and fipronil are among the most widely used pesticides in the world. Their popularity is largely due to their high toxicity to invertebrates, the ease and flexibility with which they can be applied, their long persistence, and their systemic nature, which ensures that they spread to all parts of the target crop. However, these properties also increase the probability of environmental contamination and exposure of nontarget organisms. Environmental contamination occurs via a number of routes including dust generated during drilling of dressed seeds, contamination and accumulation in arable soils and soil water, runoff into waterways, and uptake of pesticides by nontarget plants via their roots or dust deposition on leaves. Persistence in soils, waterways, and nontarget plants is variable but can be prolonged; for example, the half-lives of neonicotinoids in soils can exceed 1,000 days, so they can accumulate when used repeatedly. Similarly, they can persist in woody plants for periods exceeding 1 year. Breakdown results in toxic metabolites, though concentrations of these in the environment are rarely measured. Overall, there is strong evidence that soils, waterways, and plants in agricultural environments and neighboring areas are contaminated with variable levels of neonicotinoids or fipronil mixtures and their metabolites (soil, parts per billion (ppb)-parts per million (ppm) range; water, parts per trillion (ppt)-ppb range; and plants, ppb-ppm range). This provides multiple routes for chronic (and acute in some cases) exposure of nontarget animals. For example, pollinators are exposed through direct contact with dust during drilling; consumption of pollen, nectar, or guttation drops from seed-treated crops, water, and consumption of contaminated pollen and nectar from wild flowers and trees growing near-treated crops. Studies of food stores in honeybee colonies from across the globe demonstrate that colonies are routinely and chronically exposed to neonicotinoids, fipronil, and their metabolites (generally in the 1-100 ppb range), mixed with other pesticides some of which are known to act synergistically with neonicotinoids. Other nontarget organisms, particularly those inhabiting soils, aquatic habitats, or herbivorous insects feeding on noncrop plants in farmland, will also inevitably receive exposure, although data are generally lacking for these groups. We summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the environmental fate of these compounds by outlining what is known about the chemical properties of these compounds, and placing these properties in the context of modern agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-M Bonmatin
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans cedex 02, France,
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Simon-Delso N, San Martin G, Bruneau E, Minsart LA, Mouret C, Hautier L. Honeybee colony disorder in crop areas: the role of pesticides and viruses. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103073. [PMID: 25048715 PMCID: PMC4105542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As in many other locations in the world, honeybee colony losses and disorders have increased in Belgium. Some of the symptoms observed rest unspecific and their causes remain unknown. The present study aims to determine the role of both pesticide exposure and virus load on the appraisal of unexplained honeybee colony disorders in field conditions. From July 2011 to May 2012, 330 colonies were monitored. Honeybees, wax, beebread and honey samples were collected. Morbidity and mortality information provided by beekeepers, colony clinical visits and availability of analytical matrix were used to form 2 groups: healthy colonies and colonies with disorders (n = 29, n = 25, respectively). Disorders included: (1) dead colonies or colonies in which part of the colony appeared dead, or had disappeared; (2) weak colonies; (3) queen loss; (4) problems linked to brood and not related to any known disease. Five common viruses and 99 pesticides (41 fungicides, 39 insecticides and synergist, 14 herbicides, 5 acaricides and metabolites) were quantified in the samples.The main symptoms observed in the group with disorders are linked to brood and queens. The viruses most frequently found are Black Queen Cell Virus, Sac Brood Virus, Deformed Wing Virus. No significant difference in virus load was observed between the two groups. Three acaricides, 5 insecticides and 13 fungicides were detected in the analysed samples. A significant correlation was found between the presence of fungicide residues and honeybee colony disorders. A significant positive link could also be established between the observation of disorder and the abundance of crop surface around the beehive. According to our results, the role of fungicides as a potential stressor for honeybee colonies should be further studied, either by their direct and/or indirect impacts on bees and bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Simon-Delso
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gilles San Martin
- Plant Protection and Ecotoxicology Unit, Life Sciences Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Etienne Bruneau
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Coralie Mouret
- Beekeeping Research and Information Centre, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | - Louis Hautier
- Plant Protection and Ecotoxicology Unit, Life Sciences Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Gembloux, Belgium
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Environmental fate of soil applied neonicotinoid insecticides in an irrigated potato agroecosystem. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97081. [PMID: 24823765 PMCID: PMC4019649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Since 1995, neonicotinoid insecticides have been a critical component of arthropod management in potato, Solanum tuberosum L. Recent detections of neonicotinoids in groundwater have generated questions about the sources of these contaminants and the relative contribution from commodities in U.S. agriculture. Delivery of neonicotinoids to crops typically occurs as a seed or in-furrow treatment to manage early season insect herbivores. Applied in this way, these insecticides become systemically mobile in the plant and provide control of key pest species. An outcome of this project links these soil insecticide application strategies in crop plants with neonicotinoid contamination of water leaching from the application zone. In 2011 and 2012, our objectives were to document the temporal patterns of neonicotinoid leachate below the planting furrow following common insecticide delivery methods in potato. Leaching loss of thiamethoxam from potato was measured using pan lysimeters from three at-plant treatments and one foliar application treatment. Insecticide concentration in leachate was assessed for six consecutive months using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Findings from this study suggest leaching of neonicotinoids from potato may be greater following crop harvest in comparison to other times during the growing season. Furthermore, this study documented recycling of neonicotinoid insecticides from contaminated groundwater back onto the crop via high capacity irrigation wells. These results document interactions between cultivated potato, different neonicotinoid delivery methods, and the potential for subsurface water contamination via leaching.
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Abstract
Bees are essential pollinators of many plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural crops alike. In recent years the decline and disappearance of bee species in the wild and the collapse of honey bee colonies have concerned ecologists and apiculturalists, who search for causes and solutions to this problem. Whilst biological factors such as viral diseases, mite and parasite infections are undoubtedly involved, it is also evident that pesticides applied to agricultural crops have a negative impact on bees. Most risk assessments have focused on direct acute exposure of bees to agrochemicals from spray drift. However, the large number of pesticide residues found in pollen and honey demand a thorough evaluation of all residual compounds so as to identify those of highest risk to bees. Using data from recent residue surveys and toxicity of pesticides to honey and bumble bees, a comprehensive evaluation of risks under current exposure conditions is presented here. Standard risk assessments are complemented with new approaches that take into account time-cumulative effects over time, especially with dietary exposures. Whilst overall risks appear to be low, our analysis indicates that residues of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides pose the highest risk by contact exposure of bees with contaminated pollen. However, the synergism of ergosterol inhibiting fungicides with those two classes of insecticides results in much higher risks in spite of the low prevalence of their combined residues. Risks by ingestion of contaminated pollen and honey are of some concern for systemic insecticides, particularly imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos and the mixtures of cyhalothrin and ergosterol inhibiting fungicides. More attention should be paid to specific residue mixtures that may result in synergistic toxicity to bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Sanchez-Bayo
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Sydney, Eveleigh, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Koichi Goka
- National Institute for Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Aufauvre J, Misme-Aucouturier B, Viguès B, Texier C, Delbac F, Blot N. Transcriptome analyses of the honeybee response to Nosema ceranae and insecticides. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91686. [PMID: 24646894 PMCID: PMC3960157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are constantly exposed to a wide variety of environmental stressors such as parasites and pesticides. Among them, Nosema ceranae and neurotoxic insecticides might act in combination and lead to a higher honeybee mortality. We investigated the molecular response of honeybees exposed to N. ceranae, to insecticides (fipronil or imidacloprid), and to a combination of both stressors. Midgut transcriptional changes induced by these stressors were measured in two independent experiments combining a global RNA-Seq transcriptomic approach with the screening of the expression of selected genes by quantitative RT-PCR. Although N. ceranae-insecticide combinations induced a significant increase in honeybee mortality, we observed that they did not lead to a synergistic effect. According to gene expression profiles, chronic exposure to insecticides had no significant impact on detoxifying genes but repressed the expression of immunity-related genes. Honeybees treated with N. ceranae, alone or in combination with an insecticide, showed a strong alteration of midgut immunity together with modifications affecting cuticle coatings and trehalose metabolism. An increasing impact of treatments on gene expression profiles with time was identified suggesting an absence of stress recovery which could be linked to the higher mortality rates observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Aufauvre
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
| | - Barbara Misme-Aucouturier
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
| | - Bernard Viguès
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
| | - Catherine Texier
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
| | - Nicolas Blot
- Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France
- * E-mail:
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