No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens
Neonicotinoid pesticides can have a multitude of negative sublethal effects on bees. Understanding their impact on wild populations requires accurately estimating the dosages bees encounter under natural conditions. This is complicated by the possibility that bees might influence their own exposure:...
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doaj-d6316c211e534c609c454f8bd96f8e652020-11-25T03:36:54ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032020-05-017510.1098/rsos.191883191883No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiensFelicity MuthRebekah L. GaxiolaAnne S. LeonardNeonicotinoid pesticides can have a multitude of negative sublethal effects on bees. Understanding their impact on wild populations requires accurately estimating the dosages bees encounter under natural conditions. This is complicated by the possibility that bees might influence their own exposure: two recent studies found that bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) preferentially consumed neonicotinoid-contaminated nectar, even though these chemicals are thought to be tasteless and odourless. Here, we used Bombus impatiens to explore two elements of these reported preferences, with the aim of understanding their ecological implication and underlying mechanism. First, we asked whether preferences persisted across a range of realistic nectar sugar concentrations, when measured at a series of time points up until 24 h. Second, we tested whether bees' neonicotinoid preferences were driven by an ability to associate their post-ingestive consequences with floral stimuli such as colour, location or scent. We found no evidence that foragers preferred to consume neonicotinoid-containing solutions, despite finding effects on feeding motivation and locomotor activity in line with previous work. Bees also did not preferentially visit floral stimuli previously paired with a neonicotinoid-containing solution. These results highlight the need for further research into the mechanisms underlying bees’ responses to these pesticides, critical for determining how neonicotinoid-driven foraging preferences might operate in the real world for different bee species.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.191883imidaclopridbehaviourlocomotoractivitybeelearning |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Felicity Muth Rebekah L. Gaxiola Anne S. Leonard |
spellingShingle |
Felicity Muth Rebekah L. Gaxiola Anne S. Leonard No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens Royal Society Open Science imidacloprid behaviour locomotor activity bee learning |
author_facet |
Felicity Muth Rebekah L. Gaxiola Anne S. Leonard |
author_sort |
Felicity Muth |
title |
No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens |
title_short |
No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens |
title_full |
No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens |
title_fullStr |
No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens |
title_full_unstemmed |
No evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens |
title_sort |
no evidence for neonicotinoid preferences in the bumblebee bombus impatiens |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
series |
Royal Society Open Science |
issn |
2054-5703 |
publishDate |
2020-05-01 |
description |
Neonicotinoid pesticides can have a multitude of negative sublethal effects on bees. Understanding their impact on wild populations requires accurately estimating the dosages bees encounter under natural conditions. This is complicated by the possibility that bees might influence their own exposure: two recent studies found that bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) preferentially consumed neonicotinoid-contaminated nectar, even though these chemicals are thought to be tasteless and odourless. Here, we used Bombus impatiens to explore two elements of these reported preferences, with the aim of understanding their ecological implication and underlying mechanism. First, we asked whether preferences persisted across a range of realistic nectar sugar concentrations, when measured at a series of time points up until 24 h. Second, we tested whether bees' neonicotinoid preferences were driven by an ability to associate their post-ingestive consequences with floral stimuli such as colour, location or scent. We found no evidence that foragers preferred to consume neonicotinoid-containing solutions, despite finding effects on feeding motivation and locomotor activity in line with previous work. Bees also did not preferentially visit floral stimuli previously paired with a neonicotinoid-containing solution. These results highlight the need for further research into the mechanisms underlying bees’ responses to these pesticides, critical for determining how neonicotinoid-driven foraging preferences might operate in the real world for different bee species. |
topic |
imidacloprid behaviour locomotor activity bee learning |
url |
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.191883 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT felicitymuth noevidenceforneonicotinoidpreferencesinthebumblebeebombusimpatiens AT rebekahlgaxiola noevidenceforneonicotinoidpreferencesinthebumblebeebombusimpatiens AT annesleonard noevidenceforneonicotinoidpreferencesinthebumblebeebombusimpatiens |
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