Heavy metal pollutants have additive negative effects on honey bee cognition

Monchanin, Coline; Drujont, Erwann; Devaud, Jean-Marc; Lihoreau, Mathieu; Barron, Andrew B.

doi:10.1101/2020.12.11.421305

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…This is consistent with studies reporting indiscriminate visits on metal-contaminated flowers [19,31,56]. At these realistic concentrations, metal pollutants alter the development [15], learning and memory [51,52], the metabolism [16,17] and antioxidative responses [57].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

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Honey bees cannot sense harmful concentrations of metal pollutants in food

Monchanin

Sanchez

Lecouvreur

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Whether animals can actively avoid food contaminated with harmful compounds through taste is key to understand their ecotoxicological risks. Here, we investigated the ability of honey bees to perceive and avoid food resources contaminated with common metal pollutants known to impair their cognition at low concentrations (lead, zinc and arsenic). In behavioural assays, bees did not discriminate food contaminated with field-realistic concentrations of these metals. Bees only reduced their food consumption and displayed aversive behaviours at very high, unrealistic concentrations of lead and zinc that they perceived through their antennae and proboscis. Electrophysiological analyses confirmed that high concentrations of the three metals in sucrose solution induced a reduced neural response to sucrose in their antennae. Our results thus show that honey bees can avoid metal pollutants in their food, but only at very high concentrations above regulatory levels. Their inability to detect lower, yet harmful, concentrations in a field-realistic range suggests that metal pollution is a major threat for pollinators.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Pollinators are impacted by metal pollutants [5,18,51,52]. Here we showed that bees have only a limited capacity to detect and avoid these poisons in food.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Honey bees cannot sense harmful concentrations of metal pollutants in food

Monchanin

Sanchez

Lecouvreur

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…learning score) or during memory retrieval (i.e. memory score) (Monchanin et al, 2020; see details below). Exposed and control bumblebees were always conditioned in parallel.…”

Section: Conditioning Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The gut parasite Nosema ceranae impairs olfactory learning in bumblebees

Gómez‐Moracho

Durand

Lihoreau

2022

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Pollinators are exposed to numerous parasites and pathogens when foraging on flowers. These biological stressors may affect critical cognitive abilities required for foraging. Here, we tested whether exposure to Nosema ceranae, one of the most widespread parasites of honey bees also found in wild pollinators, impacts cognition in bumblebees. We investigated different forms of olfactory learning and memory using conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex. Seven days after feeding parasite spores, bumblebees showed lower performances in absolute, differential, and reversal learning than controls. The consistent observations across different types of olfactory learning indicates a general negative effect of N. ceranae exposure that did not specifically target particular brain areas or neural processes. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which N. ceranae impairs bumblebee cognition and the broader consequences for populations of pollinators.

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The gut parasiteNosema ceranaeimpairs olfactory learning in bumblebees

Gómez‐Moracho

Durand

Lihoreau

2021

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pollinators are exposed to numerous parasites and pathogens when foraging on flowers. These biological stressors may affect critical cognitive abilities required for foraging. Here, we tested whether exposure to Nosema ceranae, one of the most widespread parasite of honey bees also found in wild pollinators, impacts cognition in bumblebees. We investigated different forms of olfactory learning and memory using conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex. Seven days after feeding parasite spores, bumblebees showed lower performance in absolute and differential learning, and were slower to solve a reversal learning task than controls. Long-term memory was also slightly reduced. The consistent effect of N. ceranae exposure across different types of olfactory learning indicates that its action was not specific to particular brain areas or neural processes. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which N. ceranae impairs bumblebee cognition and the broader consequences for populations of pollinators.

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Heavy metal pollutants have additive negative effects on honey bee cognition

Cited by 4 publications

References 59 publications

Honey bees cannot sense harmful concentrations of metal pollutants in food

Honey bees cannot sense harmful concentrations of metal pollutants in food

The gut parasite Nosema ceranae impairs olfactory learning in bumblebees

The gut parasiteNosema ceranaeimpairs olfactory learning in bumblebees

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