TY - JOUR
T1 - The active ingredients of a mitotoxic fungicide negatively affect pollen consumption and worker survival in laboratory-reared honey bees (Apis mellifera)
AU - Fisher, Adrian
AU - Cogley, Teddy
AU - Ozturk, Cahit
AU - DeGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria
AU - Smith, Brian H.
AU - Kaftanoglu, Osman
AU - Fewell, Jennifer H.
AU - Harrison, Jon F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service grant number 2017-68004-26322 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/12/15
Y1 - 2021/12/15
N2 - Recent observations of many sublethal effects of pesticides on pollinators have raised questions about whether standard short-term laboratory tests of pesticide effects on survival are sufficient for pollinator protection. The fungicide Pristine® and its active ingredients (25.2% boscalid, 12.8% pyraclostrobin) have been reported to have low acute toxicity to caged honey bee workers, but many sublethal effects at field-relevant doses have been reported and Pristine® was recently found to increase worker pollen consumption, reduce worker longevity and colony populations at field relevant concentrations (Fisher et al. 2021). To directly compare these whole-colony field results to more standard laboratory toxicology tests, the effects of Pristine®, at a range of field-relevant concentrations, were assessed on the survival and pollen consumption of honey bee workers 0–14 days of age. Also, to separate the effects of the inert and two active ingredients, bees were fed pollen containing boscalid, pyraclostrobin, or pyraclostrobin plus boscalid, at concentrations matching those in the Pristine® treatments. Pyraclostrobin significantly reduced pollen consumption across the duration of the experiment, and dose-dependently reduced pollen consumption on days 12–14. Pristine® and boscalid significantly reduced pollen feeding rate on days 12–14. Boscalid reduced survival in a dose-dependent manner. Consumption of Pristine® or pyraclostrobin plus boscalid did not affect survival, providing evidence against strong negative effects of the inert ingredients in Pristine® and against negative synergistic effects of boscalid and pyraclostrobin. The stronger toxic effects of Pristine® observed in field colonies compared to this laboratory test, and the opposite responses of pollen consumption in the laboratory and field to Pristine®, show that standard laboratory toxicology tests can fail to predict responses of pollinators to pesticides and to provide protection.
AB - Recent observations of many sublethal effects of pesticides on pollinators have raised questions about whether standard short-term laboratory tests of pesticide effects on survival are sufficient for pollinator protection. The fungicide Pristine® and its active ingredients (25.2% boscalid, 12.8% pyraclostrobin) have been reported to have low acute toxicity to caged honey bee workers, but many sublethal effects at field-relevant doses have been reported and Pristine® was recently found to increase worker pollen consumption, reduce worker longevity and colony populations at field relevant concentrations (Fisher et al. 2021). To directly compare these whole-colony field results to more standard laboratory toxicology tests, the effects of Pristine®, at a range of field-relevant concentrations, were assessed on the survival and pollen consumption of honey bee workers 0–14 days of age. Also, to separate the effects of the inert and two active ingredients, bees were fed pollen containing boscalid, pyraclostrobin, or pyraclostrobin plus boscalid, at concentrations matching those in the Pristine® treatments. Pyraclostrobin significantly reduced pollen consumption across the duration of the experiment, and dose-dependently reduced pollen consumption on days 12–14. Pristine® and boscalid significantly reduced pollen feeding rate on days 12–14. Boscalid reduced survival in a dose-dependent manner. Consumption of Pristine® or pyraclostrobin plus boscalid did not affect survival, providing evidence against strong negative effects of the inert ingredients in Pristine® and against negative synergistic effects of boscalid and pyraclostrobin. The stronger toxic effects of Pristine® observed in field colonies compared to this laboratory test, and the opposite responses of pollen consumption in the laboratory and field to Pristine®, show that standard laboratory toxicology tests can fail to predict responses of pollinators to pesticides and to provide protection.
KW - Fungicides
KW - Honey bees
KW - Laboratory assay
KW - Pollen
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112841
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112841
M3 - Article
C2 - 34607189
AN - SCOPUS:85116033694
SN - 0147-6513
VL - 226
JO - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
JF - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
M1 - 112841
ER -