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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Bee Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #281826
Title: Sublethal insecticide exposure reduces pollinator reproductive success

Author
item SANDROCK, CHRISTOP - Swiss Bee Research Center
item TANADINI, LORENZO - University Of Zurich
item Pettis, Jeffery
item NEUMANN, PETER - Swiss Bee Research Center

Submitted to: Agricultural and Forest Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2013
Publication Date: 1/2/2014
Citation: Sandrock, C., Tanadini, L.G., Pettis, J.S., Neumann, P. 2014. Sublethal insecticide exposure reduces pollinator reproductive success. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 16(2):119-128.

Interpretive Summary: Pollinating insects provide crucial and economically important ecosystem services to humankind and recent global pollinator declines are alarming. A variety of factors are suspected to impact pollinator health including pesticide applications for crop protection. Sublethal pesticide exposure negatively impacts a variety of pollinator life events but its effect on reproductive health remains unknown. Using realistic amounts of systemic neonicotinoid insecticides, we show a decrease in reproductive performance of the Red Mason bee. By monitoring chronic exposure to neonicotinoids total offspring was reduced by 47.7% and resulted in a higher sex ratio of male offspring while adult mortality was not affected. As a result, current agricultural practices may have negative effects on wild pollinator populations and may be contributing to their declines. This information will be useful to the general public, scientists and government officials trying to balance the pros and cons of pesticide use.

Technical Abstract: Pollinating insects provide crucial and economically important ecosystem services, but their recent global declines are alarming. Various drivers are suspected to affect pollinator health, including pesticide applications for crop protection. Sublethal pesticide exposure negatively impacts numerous pollinator life history traits, but its influence on the most pivotal response, reproductive success, remains unknown. We show that realistic concentrations of systemic neonicotinoid insecticides in nectar decrease the reproductive performance of the Red Mason bee. Monitoring of experimental populations revealed that chronic exposure to neonicotinoids reduced total offspring production by 47.7% and resulted in a significantly male biased offspring sex ratio while adult mortality was not affected. Consequently, current agricultural practices may have detrimental effects on wild pollinator populations, thereby contributing to their declines.