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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359665
Research Project: Integrated Insect Pest and Resistance Management on Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybean, and Sweet Potato

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Interaction patterns and combined toxic effects of acetamiprid in combination with seven pesticides on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Author
item WANG, YANHUA - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item Zhu, Yu Cheng
item LI, WENHONG - Guizhou Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/17/2019
Publication Date: 12/20/2019
Citation: Wang, Y., Zhu, Y., Li, W. 2019. Interaction patterns and combined toxic effects of acetamiprid in combination with seven pesticides on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 190:110100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110100.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110100

Interpretive Summary: The neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid (ACT) and seven pesticides [abamectin (ABA), emamectin benzoate (EMB), dicrotophos (DIC), bifenthrin (BIF), cypermethrin (CYP), lambda-cyhalothrin (LCY) and tetraconazole (TET)] are widely applied agrochemicals worldwide. Since most previous studies on these pesticides are performed merely based on toxicity tests with individual chemicals, only finite knowledge is available on the possible mixture toxicities of these common compounds to crop pollinators. In this study, we examined the combined toxicities of their binary, ternary, quaternary, quinquenary, senary, septenary and octonary mixtures to honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) with feeding toxicity test. Results showed that EMB and ABA had the highest toxicities to honey bees with LC50 (lethal concentration causing 50% mortality) values of 0.033 (0.028-0.038) and 0.047 (0.039-0.056) µg a.i. mL-1 after exposure for 7 days, respectively, followed by DIC with an LC50 value of 1.22 (1.01-1.41) µg a.i. mL-1. In contrast, relatively low toxicities were found from pyrethroid insecticides, ACT, and TET with their LC50 values ranged from 44.76 (38.75-50.89) to 251.7 (198.4-297.3) µg a.i. mL-1. Most of pesticide mixtures containing ACT and TET elicited synergistic interactions to honey bees. Besides, four pesticide mixtures of ACT+BIF, ACT+BIF+CYP, ACT+BIF+LCY and ACT+CYP+DIC+EMB also displayed synergistic effects. Among 98 tested binary to octonary mixtures of ACT in combination with seven pesticides, 44.90% of combinations exhibited synergistic effects on the pollinators. Considering ACT was permitted to use on flowering crops, we should pay attention to its application due to the observed synergistic effects of ACT in combination with other pesticides on A. mellifera.

Technical Abstract: The neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid (ACT) and seven pesticides [abamectin (ABA), emamectin benzoate (EMB), dicrotophos (DIC), bifenthrin (BIF), cypermethrin (CYP), lambda-cyhalothrin (LCY) and tetraconazole (TET)] are widely applied agrochemicals worldwide. Since most previous studies on these pesticides are performed merely based on toxicity tests with individual chemicals, only finite knowledge is available on the possible mixture toxicities of these common compounds to crop pollinators. In this study, we examined the combined toxicities of their binary, ternary, quaternary, quinquenary, senary, septenary and octonary mixtures to honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) with feeding toxicity test. Results showed that EMB and ABA had the highest toxicities to A. mellifera with LC50 values of 0.033 (0.028-0.038) and 0.047 (0.039-0.056) µg a.i. mL-1 after exposure for 7 days, respectively, followed by DIC with an LC50 value of 1.22 (1.01-1.41) µg a.i. mL-1. In contrast, relatively low toxicities were found from pyrethroid insecticides, ACT, and TET with their LC50 values ranged from 44.76 (38.75-50.89) to 251.7 (198.4-297.3) µg a.i. mL-1. Most of pesticide mixtures containing ACT and TET elicited synergistic interactions to honey bees. Besides, four pesticide mixtures of ACT+BIF, ACT+BIF+CYP, ACT+BIF+LCY and ACT+CYP+DIC+EMB also displayed synergistic effects. Among 98 tested binary to octonary mixtures of ACT in combination with seven pesticides, 44.90% of combinations exhibited synergistic effects on the pollinators. Considering ACT was permitted to use on flowering crops, we should pay attention to its application due to the observed synergistic effects of ACT in combination with other pesticides on A. mellifera.