Toxicity of organophosphorus pesticides to the stingless bees Scaptotrigona bipunctata and Tetragonisca fiebrigi

Abstract

This study estimated the toxicity of the insecticides chlorpyrifos and phosmet to the stingless bees Scaptotrigona bipunctata and Tetragonisca fiebrigi. The results showed significant differences in susceptibility between the tested species, indicating that S. bipunctata are more tolerant to chlorpyrifos than T. fiebrigi in both assays. In contrast, the two tested stingless bee species showed no significant differences in susceptibility to phosmet. Our findings indicated that the insecticides chlorpyrifos and phosmet are potentially dangerous to S. bipunctata and T. fiebrigi both topically and by ingestion. It is essential to propose measures to minimize the impact of these products on pollinators. This study is the first evaluation of the lethal effects of the insecticides chlorpyrifos and phosmet to S. bipunctata and T. fiebrigi , and it provides important support for future studies on pesticide toxicity in stingless bees.

The dilemma of agricultural pollination in Brazil: Beekeeping growth and insecticide use

“…This situation is alarming and needs to be addressed, as local research indicates that keepers of honey bees and stingless bees are reluctant to enter into partnerships with agricultural farmers because of excessive use of agrochemicals in the fields [ 11 – 13 , 24 ]. Considering the lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides on bees [ 27 , 32 , 58 , 59 ] and that a large proportion of the honey eaten worldwide, including in Brazil [ 41 ], contains insecticide residues, as does pollen [ 26 , 28 ], it would be unwise for Brazilian beekeepers to adopt partnerships with farmers before any deal.…”

Acute toxicity of the insecticide abamectin and the fungicide difenoconazole (individually and in mixture) to the tropical stingless bee Melipona scutellaris

“…The contact LD50 of a commercial formulation containing abamectin for A. mellifera derived by del Sarto et al (2014) indicates a one to two orders of magnitude higher contact sensitivity of M. scutellaris (Table 2). Stingless bees have indeed frequently been discussed to be more sensitive to insecticides than honeybees (Arena and Sgolastra 2014;Barbosa et al 2015;Cham et al 2019;Dorneles et al 2017;Toméet al 2017). The relatively smaller body size of stingless bees and subsequent greater surface to volume ration is one of the most frequently reported reasons for the greater contact sensitivity to insecticides (Arena and Sgolastra 2014;FAO 2014;Seide et al 2018).…”

“…The relatively smaller body size of stingless bees and subsequent greater surface to volume ration is one of the most frequently reported reasons for the greater contact sensitivity to insecticides (Arena and Sgolastra 2014;FAO 2014;Seide et al 2018). Other reported explanations that have been hypothesized include lower metabolic (and hence detoxification) rate, cuticle chemical composition and thickness, a higher level of sociality, and a higher haemolymph pH (Arena and Sgolastra 2014;Dorneles et al 2017;Lima et al 2016;Seide et al 2018). However, the exact relationship between life-history traits of stingless bees like Melipona spp and their sensitivity to pesticides remains unclear (Toméet al 2017).…”

“…Bees have been recognized as the most efficient pollinators of both native and cultivated plants and providers of natural products like honey, royal jelly, propolis and wax (de Morais et al 2018;Dorneles et al 2017). Great concerns have therefore been raised in recent years about the worldwide bee colony collapse disorder phenomenon (Barbosa et al 2015;Sańchez-Bayo and Wyckhuys 2019;Sgolastra et al 2020).…”

Diversidade de abelhas sem ferrão (Meliponina) em áreas urbanas no Brasil e avaliação da toxicidade aguda de Malathion para Partamona helleri (Friese, 1900)

“…mellifera, será possível garantir a proteção da maior diversidade de abelhas sem ferrão do mundo e dos demais grupos que dependem de seus serviços ecológicos, como os humanos (Decourtye et al, 2013;Arena & Sgolastra, 2014;Dorneles et al 2017). É importante que nesses estudos sejam considerados os impactos que esses insumos podem causar na fauna de abelhas nativas que estão fora do contexto agrícola -para o qual a maioria dos pesticidas tem uso destinado -, como é o caso das diferentes comunidades de abelhas que se adaptaram às condições e dinâmicas oferecidas por centros urbanos brasileiros (Taura & Laroca, 2001;Antonini & Martins, 2003;Zanette et al, 2005, Hernandez et al, 2009, Antonini et al, 2013.…”