[Pollinator] neonicotinoid effects on honey bee behavior

[David Inouye]

Morfin, N., et al. (2019). "Sublethal exposure to clothianidin during 
the larval stage causes long-term impairment of hygienic and foraging 
behaviours of honey bees." Apidologie 50(5): 595-605.
     Most studies on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on neural 
processes of honey bees are based on behaviours performed by adult bees 
exposed as adults. It is unclear how the developing brains of honey bee 
larvae are affected by sublethal doses of neonicotinoid insecticides 
when measuring neural processes through behavioural performance in adult 
bees. In this study, larvae were exposed to three sublethal doses of 
clothianidin and evaluated 25–36 days later for hygienic and foraging 
behaviours as adult bees. The medium and highest sublethal doses of 
clothianidin significantly reduced hygienic and foraging activity. The 
greatest effects were on the proportion of adult bees foraging and 
carrying pollen. These results show that exposure of larvae to 
clothianidin results in negative effects extending into the adulthood of 
bees, possibly compromising the colony’s fitness by impairing pathogen 
control mechanisms and by reducing pollen collection.


-- 
Dr. David W. Inouye
Professor Emeritus
Department of Biology
University of Maryland

Principal Investigator
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory