Pesticide uptake and locomotor behaviour in the woodlouse: an experimental study employing video tracking and (14)C-labelling

Dissecting the costs of a facultative symbiosis in an isopod living with ants

The balance between costs and benefits is expected to drive associations between species. While these balances are well understood for strict associations, we have no insights to which extent they determine facultative associations between species. Here, we quantified the costs of living in a facultative association, by studying the effects of red wood ants on the facultatively associated isopod Porcellio scaber. Porcellio scaber frequently occurred in and near hostile red wood ant nests and might outnumber obligate nest associates. The facultative association involved different costs for the isopod. We found that the density of the isopod decreases near the nest with higher ant traffic. Individuals in and near the nest were smaller than individuals further away from the nest. Smaller individuals were also found at sites with higher ant traffic. A higher proportion of wounded individuals was found closer to the nest and with higher ant traffic. We recorded pregnant females and juveniles in the nest suggesting that the life cycle can be completed inside the nests. Lab experiments showed that females died sooner and invested less in reproduction in presence of red wood ants. Porcellio scaber rarely provoked an aggression response, but large numbers were carried as prey to the nest. These preyed isopods were mainly dried out corpses. Our results showed that the ant association incurred several costs for a facultative associate. Consequently, red wood ant nests and their surrounding territory act as an alternative habitat where demographic costs are offset by a stable resource provisioning and protection.

Avoidance behaviour toxicity tests should account for animal gregariousness: a case study on the terrestrial isopod Porcellioscaber

Avoidance behaviour enables woodlice to escape suboptimal environmental conditions and to mitigate harmful effects of pollutants. However, several studies have shown that at least in some woodlice species the tendency to aggregate can lead to suboptimal responses as the between-conspecific attraction can outweigh the aversive stimuli. The present study evaluated the influence of gregariousness on the behaviour of Porcellioscaber in a heterogeneously polluted environment. The hypothesis was that the tendency for aggregation outweighs the tendency for exploratory activity, therefore animals in groups will be less active. Consequently, this will affect their avoidance of polluted environmental patches. To test this hypothesis, isolated individuals or pairs of individuals were monitored in free-choice arenas where animals could select between uncontaminated and pyrethrin-contaminated soils. Animals were video recorded for 3 h in darkness using infrared light and analysed for avoidance behaviour and locomotor activity. In general, isolated animals were more locomotory active and avoided the contaminated soil more than paired animals. It can be concluded that aggregation behaviour suppresses exploratory behaviour and consequently also the avoidance of polluted environments. This should be accounted for when interpreting results of avoidance tests with groups of gregarious animals, which may underestimate the effect of pollutants.

Effects of Bacillus lipopeptides on the survival and behavior of the rosy apple aphid Dysaphis plantaginea

Within the framework of biocontrol development, several natural lipopeptides produced by Bacillus subtilis show well-documented anti-microbial properties, especially in orchards. However, the number of studies on their putative insecticidal effects remain low despite the growing interest to develop new strategies of orchards pests' control. The rosy apple aphid Dysaphis plantaginea is the major aphid pest causing great leaf damage to apple trees. In this study, we submitted young adult aphids to topical application of three different families of lipopeptides, Plipastatin (Fengycin), Mycosubtilin (Iturin), and Surfactin, either separately or as a ternary mixture. Their aphicidal effects were investigated at 1, 2.5 and 5 g/L, both at 1 h and 24 h after exposure, and their effects on aphid behavior were studied at the 2.5 g/L concentration at 24 h after exposure. When delivered alone, lipopeptides displayed contrasted effects varying from no aphicidal activity for Mycosubtilin to a mortality induced even at low concentrations by Surfactin. Surprisingly, locomotor activity of the surviving aphids was only affected by the two least lethal treatments, Mycosubtilin and the ternary mix. Their feeding behavior was only impacted by Surfactin, the most lethal treatment, that unexpectedly increased phloem sap ingestion. The results are discussed in the context of lipopeptides applicability for integrated pest management.

Toxicity interaction between chlorpyrifos, mancozeb and soil moisture to the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus

A main source of uncertainty currently associated with environmental risk assessment of chemicals is the poor understanding of the influence of environmental factors on the toxicity of xenobiotics. Aiming to reduce this uncertainty, here we evaluate the joint-effects of two pesticides (chlorpyrifos and mancozeb) on the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus under different soil moisture regimes. A full factorial design, including three treatments of each pesticide and an untreated control, were performed under different soil moisture regimes: 25%, 50%, and 75% WHC. Our results showed that soil moisture had no effects on isopods survival, at the levels assessed in this experiment, neither regarding single pesticides nor mixture treatments. Additivity was always the most parsimonious result when both pesticides were present. Oppositely, both feeding activity and biomass change showed a higher sensitivity to soil moisture, with isopods generally showing worse performance when exposed to pesticides and dry or moist conditions. Most of the significant differences between soil moisture regimes were found in single pesticide treatments, yet different responses to mixtures could still be distinguished depending on the soil moisture assessed. This study shows that while soil moisture has the potential to influence the effects of the pesticide mixture itself, such effects might become less important in a context of complex combinations of stressors, as the major contribution comes from its individual interaction with each pesticide. Finally, the implications of our results are discussed in light of the current state of environmental risk assessment procedures and some future perspectives are advanced.

Insects, insecticides and hormesis: evidence and considerations for study

Insects are ubiquitous, crucial components of almost all terrestrial and fresh water ecosystems. In agricultural settings they are subjected to, intentionally or unintentionally, an array of synthetic pesticides and other chemical stressors. These ecological underpinnings, the amenability of insects to laboratory and field experiments, and our strong knowledgebase in insecticide toxicology, make the insect-insecticide model an excellent one to study many questions surrounding hormesis. Moreover, there is practical importance for agriculture with evidence of pest population growth being accelerated by insecticide hormesis. Nevertheless, insects have been underutilized in studies of hormesis. Where hormesis hypotheses have been tested, results clearly demonstrate stimulatory effects on multiple taxa as measured through several biological endpoints, both at individual and population levels. However, many basic questions are outstanding given the myriad of chemicals, responses, and ecological interactions that are likely to occur.

Effects of insecticide exposure on movement and population size estimates of predatory ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

BACKGROUND

Estimates of arthropod population size may paradoxically increase following insecticide applications. Research with ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) suggests that such unusual results reflect increased arthropod movement and capture in traps rather than real changes in population size. However, it is unclear whether direct (hyperactivity) or indirect (prey-mediated) mechanisms produce increased movement.

RESULTS

Video tracking of Scarites quadriceps Chaudior indicated that brief exposure to lambda-cyhalothrin or tefluthrin increased total distance moved, maximum velocity and percentage of time moving. Repeated measurements on individual beetles indicated that movement decreased 240 min after initial lambda-cyhalothrin exposure, but increased again following a second exposure, suggesting hyperactivity could lead to increased trap captures in the field. Two field experiments in which ground beetles were collected after lambda-cyhalothrin or permethrin application attempted to detect increases in population size estimates as a result of hyperactivity. Field trials used mark-release-recapture methods in small plots and natural carabid populations in larger plots, but found no significant short-term (<6 day) increases in beetle trap captures.

CONCLUSION

The disagreement between laboratory and field results suggests mechanisms other than hyperactivity may better explain unusual changes in population size estimates. When traps are used as a primary sampling tool, unexpected population-level effects should be interpreted carefully or with additional data less influenced by arthropod activity.

Impact of cypermethrin on feeding behaviour and mortality of the spider Pardosa amentata in arenas with artificial 'vegetation'

Pesticides can modify invertebrate movement and feeding behaviour which could reduce predation in agroecosystems. Previous assays have exposed the spider Pardosa amentata (Clerck) to the synthetic pyrethroid cypermethrin and monitored prey items consumed in small containers (requiring very little movement to capture prey). The current study used larger arenas containing artificial 'vegetation' (a plastic analogue) to encourage spiders to hunt and capture prey. The period 24 h after exposure produced greatest variability in prey item consumption between treatments and was used to examine treatment effects. At this time, cypermethrin reduced prey consumption rates but these effects did not persist. Findings did not suggest that the presence of artificial vegetation in arenas modified prey consumption rates, which was consistent for individuals treated with cypermethrin and a control group. This is despite the majority of pesticide-treated individuals exhibiting both ataxia and paralysis of the hind legs (these effects persisting for a maximum of 3 and 6 days respectively). These findings were consistent for both sexes. Spider longevity under starvation conditions was not significantly reduced by cypermethrin exposure but overall females survived longer than males. The findings are discussed in the context of the arenas used and the ecology of this common predator.

Comparison of the toxicity of dimethoate and cypermethrin in the laboratory and the field when applying the same bioassay

The present paper studies the relationship between laboratory- and field-based survival data of beetle larvae sprayed with either dimethoate or cypermethrin. The comparison for dimethoate was based on an earlier constructed pesticide-effect model derived from greenhouse data. To predict field effects, the model was supplied with field data for temperatures, the insecticide concentrations on the plants, and the control mortality rate of the beetles. The same model structure was unable to predict greenhouse mortality from cypermethrin treatment, for which reason the differences between laboratory and field for this compound are discussed on the basis of direct observations. For best comparison, the same bioassay method was used in both the greenhouse and the field in the present study. Tests were based on Gastrophysa polygoni larvae dwelling on the undersides of leaves of Fallopia convolvulus plants. Dietary uptake was regarded as the main source of exposure. The simulation results for dimethoate underestimated the field mortality even after accounting for the higher control mortality in the field in the model. It was shown that an additional increase of the toxicant-induced death rate by more than a factor of five was required for the model to fit the field data. This indicated a relatively severe impact of dimethoate under field conditions. For cypermethrin, the effects in the field increased with time, pointing at increasing exposure of and/or effects on the larvae. Contributions of the present results toward the bridging of the gap between laboratory and field are discussed.