Oral exposure to thiacloprid-based pesticide (Calypso SC480) causes physical poisoning symptoms and impairs the cognitive abilities of bumble bees

BMC Evolutionary Biology

article

Kaila, Lotta¹  Antinoja, Anna³  Toivonen, Marjaana⁵  Jalli, Marja²  Loukola, Olli J.³ 

[1] Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki;Natural Resources Institute Finland;Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu;Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Inst of Entomology, and Univ. of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science;Finnish Environment Institute;Biodiversity Unit, University of Oulu, University of Oulu

关键词: Bumble bee;    Associative learning;    Bombus terrestris;    Insecticide exposure;    Neonicotinoids;    Pollinator;    Sublethal effects;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12862-023-02111-3

学科分类：护理学

来源: BioMed Central

【 摘 要 】

Pesticides are identified as one of the major reasons for the global pollinator decline. However, the sublethal effects of pesticide residue levels found in pollen and nectar on pollinators have been studied little. The aim of our research was to study whether oral exposure to the thiacloprid levels found in pollen and nectar affect the learning and long-term memory of bumble bees. We tested the effects of two exposure levels of thiacloprid-based pesticide (Calypso SC480) on buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) in laboratory utilizing a learning performance and memory tasks designed to be difficult enough to reveal large variations across the individuals. The lower exposure level of the thiacloprid-based pesticide impaired the bees’ learning performance but not long-term memory compared to the untreated controls. The higher exposure level caused severe acute symptoms, due to which we were not able to test the learning and memory. Our results show that oral exposure to a thiacloprid-based pesticide, calculated based on residue levels found in pollen and nectar, not only causes sublethal effects but also acute lethal effects on bumble bees. Our study underlines an urgent demand for better understanding of pesticide residues in the environment, and of the effects of those residue levels on pollinators. These findings fill the gap in the existing knowledge and help the scientific community and policymakers to enhance the sustainable use of pesticides.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC0