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Siviter H, DeVore J, Gray LK, Ivers NA, Lopez EA, Riddington IM, Stuligross C, Jha S, Muth F. A novel pesticide has lethal consequences for an important pollinator. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175935. [PMID: 39218110 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Wild bees pollinate crops and wildflowers where they are frequently exposed to pesticides. Neonicotinoids are the most commonly used insecticide globally, but restrictions on their use and rising pest resistance have increased the demand for alternative pesticides. Flupyradifurone is a novel insecticide that has been licenced globally for use on bee-visited crops. Here, in a semi-field experiment, we exposed solitary bees (Osmia lignaria) to a commercial pesticide formulation (Sivanto Prime) containing flupyradifurone at label-recommended rates. We originally designed the experiment to examine sublethal effects, but contrary to our expectations, 100 % of bees released into pesticide-treated cages died within 3 days of exposure, compared to 0 % in control plots. Bees exposed to flupyradifurone a few days after the initial application survived but endured prolonged sublethal effects, including lower nesting success, impairment to foraging efficiency, and higher mortality. These results demonstrate that exposure to this novel insecticide poses significant threats to solitary bees and add to a growing body of evidence indicating that this pesticide can have negative impacts on wild bees at field-realistic concentrations. In the short-term, we recommend that commercial formulations containing flupyradifurone should be restricted to non-flowering crops while a reassessment of its safety can be conducted. In the long-term, environmental risk assessors should continue to develop risk assessments that are truly holistic and incorporate the ecological and life history traits of multiple pollinator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Siviter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Jennie DeVore
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lily K Gray
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nicholas A Ivers
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, 547 ASI Bldg., University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lopez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ian M Riddington
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24(th) St., Austin, TX 78712-1224, USA
| | - Clara Stuligross
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Shalene Jha
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX 78739, USA
| | - Felicity Muth
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, 196 Briggs Hall, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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de Souza FC, Miotelo L, Maloni G, Otero IVR, Nocelli RCF, Malaspina O. Thiamethoxam toxicity on the stingless bee Friesiomelitta varia: LC 50, survival time, and enzymatic biomarkers assessment. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 363:142853. [PMID: 39019173 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Bees play a crucial role as pollinating insects in both natural and cultivated areas. However, the use of pesticides, such as thiamethoxam, has been identified as a contributing factor compromising bee health. The current risk assessment primarily relies on the model species Apis mellifera, raising concerns about the applicability of these assessments to other bee groups, including stingless bees. In this study, we investigated the acute toxicity of thiamethoxam on the stingless bee Frieseomelitta varia by determining the average lethal concentration (LC50) and mean lethal time (LT50). Additionally, we evaluated the enzymatic profile of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Carboxylesterase-3 (CaE-3), and Glutathione S-Transferase (GST), in the heads and abdomens of F. varia after exposure to thiamethoxam (LC50/10). The LC50 of thiamethoxam was determined to be 0.68 ng ai/μL, and the LT50 values were 37 days for the control group, 25 days at LC50/10, and 27 days at LC50/100. The thiamethoxam significantly decreased the survival time of F. varia. Furthermore, the enzymatic profile exhibited differences in CaE3 activity within one day in the heads and ten days in the abdomen. GST activity showed differences in the abdomen after one and five days of thiamethoxam exposure. These findings suggests that the abdomen is more affected than the head after oral exposure to thiamethoxam. Our study provides evidence of the toxicity of thiamethoxam at both the cellular and organismal levels, reinforcing the need to include non-Apis species in pollinator risk assessments. and provide solid arguments for bee protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Carolaine de Souza
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro. Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada, Programa de pós graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Biologia Celular, Molecular e Microbiologia, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Miotelo
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro. Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada, Programa de pós graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Biologia Celular, Molecular e Microbiologia, Brazil.
| | - Geovana Maloni
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro. Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada, Programa de pós graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Biologia Celular, Molecular e Microbiologia, Brazil.
| | - Igor Vinicius Ramos Otero
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro. Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada, Programa de pós graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Biologia Celular, Molecular e Microbiologia, Brazil.
| | | | - Osmar Malaspina
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro. Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada, Programa de pós graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Biologia Celular, Molecular e Microbiologia, Brazil.
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Scheibli L, Wiedenmann M, Wolf H, Stemme T, Pfeffer SE. Flupyradifurone negatively affects survival, physical condition and mobility in the two-spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172617. [PMID: 38653409 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Lady beetles play a crucial role in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings. Unfortunately, these insects and more specifically the two-spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata) are currently facing a severe decline in populations due to various stressors, with pesticide exposure being a significant threat. Flupyradifurone is a relatively newly introduced insecticide and as existing research is mainly elucidating its effects on bees there remains a limited understanding of its effects on non-hymenopteran insects, including lady beetles. In this study we investigated the impact of acute orally applied flupyradifurone doses on survival and sublethal parameters such as physical condition and mobility on A. bipunctata. Our findings revealed a significant increase in mortality among individuals subjected to flupyradifurone doses of 19 ng/individual (corresponding to >1.5-2.0 ng active substance (a.s.)/mg body weight (bw). The calculated LD50 of flupyradifurone at 48 h was 2.11 ng a.s./mg bw corresponding to an amount of 26.38 ng/individual. Sublethal consequences were observable immediately after pesticide application. Even at doses as low as 2 ng/individual (corresponding to >0.0-0.5 ng a.s./mg bw), flupyradifurone induced trembling and temporary immobility in treated animals. Furthermore, pesticide intoxication led to hypoactivity, with less distance covered and a decline in straightness of locomotion. In conclusion, our study underscores the harmful effects of flupyradifurone on the two-spotted lady beetle at doses notably lower than those affecting bees. These findings stress the importance of additional research to attain a more holistic understanding of pesticide impacts not only on a broader range of non-target arthropods species, but also on various exposure routes as well as lethal and sublethal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Scheibli
- Ulm University, Institute of Neurobiology, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | | | - Harald Wolf
- Ulm University, Institute of Neurobiology, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Torben Stemme
- Ulm University, Institute of Neurobiology, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Reis AB, Oliveira MSD, Souza DDS, Gomes DS, Silva LLD, Martínez LC, Serrão JE. Exploring the effects of the acaricide cyflumetofen on the vital organs of the honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172640. [PMID: 38670351 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Bees are important for maintaining ecosystems, pollinating crops and producing marketable products. In recent years, a decline in bee populations has been reported, with multifactorial causes, including the intensification of pesticide use in agriculture. Among pesticides, cyflumetofen is an insecticide and acaricide used in apple, coffee and citrus crops, whose main pollinator is the honey bee Apis mellifera. Therefore, this bee is a potential target of cyflumetofen during foraging. This study evaluated the histopathological and cytological damage in the midgut, hypopharyngeal glands and fat body of A. mellifera workers exposed to LC50 of cyflumetofen. The midgut epithelium of exposed bees presented cytoplasmic vacuolization, release of vesicles and cell fragments, which indicate autophagy, increased production of digestive enzymes and cell death, respectively. The cytological analysis of the midgut revealed the dilation of the basal labyrinth and the presence of spherocrystals in the digestive cells. The hypopharyngeal glands produced greater amounts of secretion in treated bees, whereas no changes were observed in the fat body. The results indicate that acute exposure to cyflumetofen negatively affect A. mellifera, causing damage to the midgut and changes in the hypopharyngeal glands, which may compromise the survival and foraging of this pollinator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Beatriz Reis
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mateus Soares de Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Diego Dos Santos Souza
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Davy Soares Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Laryssa Lemos da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Luis Carlos Martínez
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad de Nariño, 602-7244309 Pasto, Nariño, Colombia.
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Gray LK, Hulsey M, Siviter H. A novel insecticide impairs bumblebee memory and sucrose responsiveness across high and low nutrition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231798. [PMID: 38721128 PMCID: PMC11076119 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Wild bees are important pollinators of crops and wildflowers but are exposed to a myriad of different anthropogenic stressors, such as pesticides and poor nutrition, as a consequence of intensive agriculture. These stressors do not act in isolation, but interact, and may exacerbate one another. Here, we assessed whether a field-realistic concentration of flupyradifurone, a novel pesticide that has been labelled as 'bee safe' by regulators, influenced bumblebee sucrose responsiveness and long-term memory. In a fully crossed experimental design, we exposed individual bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) to flupyradifurone at high (50% (w/w)) or low (15% (w/w)) sucrose concentrations, replicating diets that are either carbohydrate rich or poor, respectively. We found that flupyradifurone impaired sucrose responsiveness and long-term memory at both sucrose concentrations, indicating that better nutrition did not buffer the negative impact of flupyradifurone. We found no individual impact of sugar deficiency on bee behaviour and no significant interactions between pesticide exposure and poor nutrition. Our results add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that flupyradifurone has significant negative impacts on pollinators, indicating that this pesticide is not 'bee safe'. This suggests that agrochemical risk assessments are not protecting pollinators from the unintended consequences of pesticide use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily K. Gray
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712, USA
| | - Marcus Hulsey
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712, USA
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019, USA
| | - Harry Siviter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1TQ, UK
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Fisher A, Tadei R, Berenbaum M, Nieh J, Siviter H, Crall J, Glass JR, Muth F, Liao LH, Traynor K, DesJardins N, Nocelli R, Simon-Delso N, Harrison JF. Breaking the cycle: Reforming pesticide regulation to protect pollinators. Bioscience 2023; 73:808-813. [PMID: 38125825 PMCID: PMC10728777 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Over decades, pesticide regulations have cycled between approval and implementation, followed by the discovery of negative effects on nontarget organisms that result in new regulations, pesticides, and harmful effects. This relentless pattern undermines the capacity to protect the environment from pesticide hazards and frustrates end users that need pest management tools. Wild pollinating insects are in decline, and managed pollinators such as honey bees are experiencing excessive losses, which threatens sustainable food security and ecosystem function. An increasing number of studies demonstrate the negative effects of field-realistic exposure to pesticides on pollinator health and fitness, which contribute to pollinator declines. Current pesticide approval processes, although they are superior to past practices, clearly continue to fail to protect pollinator health. In the present article, we provide a conceptual framework to reform cyclical pesticide approval processes and better protect pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Fisher
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | | | - May Berenbaum
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | - James Nieh
- University of California, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Harry Siviter
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- University of Bristol, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
| | - James Crall
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Widsconsin, United States
| | - Jordan R Glass
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Felicity Muth
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Ling-Hsiu Liao
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | | | - Nicole DesJardins
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | | | - Noa Simon-Delso
- BeeLife European Beekeeping Coordination, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jon F Harrison
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
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