A5003555497- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Pesticide Residue Analysis and Safety
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Bee Products Chemical Analysis
Royal Holloway University of London
2023-2025
University of Bern
2016-2025
King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok
2023-2024
Agroscope
2015-2023
Federal Office for Agriculture
2020-2022
Bee Research Institute
2022
Insects provide crucial ecosystem services for human food security and maintenance of biodiversity. It is therefore not surprising that major declines in wild insects, combined with losses managed bees, have raised great concern. Recent data suggest honey bees appear to be less susceptible stressors compared other species. Here we argue eusociality plays a key role the susceptibility insects environmental due what call superorganism resilience, which can defined as ability tolerate loss...
There is clear evidence for sublethal effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on non-target ecosystem service-providing insects. However, their possible impact male insect reproduction currently unknown, despite the key role sex. Here, we show that two neonicotinoids (4.5 ppb thiamethoxam and 1.5 clothianidin) significantly reduce reproductive capacity honeybees (drones), Apis mellifera . Drones were obtained from colonies exposed to or controls, subsequently maintained in laboratory cages...
Abstract Viruses are omnipresent, yet the knowledge on drivers of viral prevalence in wild host populations is often limited. Biotic factors, such as sympatric managed species, well abiotic climatic variables, likely to impact prevalence. Managed and bees, which harbor several multi-host viruses with a mostly fecal–oral between-species transmission route, provide an excellent system test for biotic factors populations. Here we show continental scale that three broad viruses: AKI-complex (...
The Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, is the most important managed pollinator globally and has recently experienced unsustainably high colony losses. Synergistic interactions among stressors are believed to be primarily responsible. However, despite clear evidence of strong effect on honeybee longevity widely-employed neonicotinoid insecticides ubiquitous ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, no data exist show synergistic effects between these two stressors. Even though neonicotinoids had...
Neonicotinoid insecticides are currently of major concern for the health wild and managed insects that provide key ecosystem services like pollination. Even though sublethal effects neonicotinoids well known, there is surprisingly little information on how they possibly impact developmental stability, to what extent genetics involved. This holds especially true haploid individuals because hemizygous at detoxification loci may be more susceptible. Here we take advantage haplodiploidy in...
Neonicotinoid insecticides can cause a variety of adverse sub-lethal effects in bees. In social species such as the honeybee, Apis mellifera, queens are essential for reproduction and colony functioning. Therefore, any negative effect these agricultural chemicals on mating success may have serious consequences fitness entire colony. Queens were exposed to common neonicotinoid pesticides thiamethoxam clothianidin during their developmental stage. After mating, spermathecae dissected count...
Abstract The widespread prophylactic usage of neonicotinoid insecticides has a clear impact on non-target organisms. However, the possible effects long-term exposure soil-dwelling organisms are still poorly understood especially for social insects with long-living queens. Here, we show that chronic to thiamethoxam black garden ant colonies, Lasius niger , become visible before second overwintering. Queens and workers differed in residue-ratio its metabolite clothianidin, suggesting queens...
Emerging infectious diseases can have a major impact on fitness of novel hosts, thereby contributing to ongoing species declines. In social insects, collaborative brood care by workers and successful mating male sexuals are key colony fitness. The microsporidian endoparasite Nosema ceranae has spread almost globally, shifting across honeybee now bumblebees. However, despite N. being linked recent population declines, its possible bumblebee remains poorly understood. Here, we show that...
The parasite Crithidia mellificae (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae) infects honeybees, Apis mellifera. No pathogenic effects have been found in individual hosts, despite positive correlations between infections and colony mortalities. solitary bee Osmia cornuta might constitute a host, but controlled are lacking to date. Here, we challenged male female O. honeybee workers laboratory cages with C. mellificae. cells were any control. Parasite numbers increased 6.6 fold honeybees days 6 19 p.i....
Abstract Agricultural chemicals such as neonicotinoid insecticides are believed to be one important factor responsible for the recent reduction in health of pollinating insects like western honeybee Apis mellifera . However, effects neonicotinoids on male (drone) remain severely understudied. We examined first time multidimensional field‐realistic concentrations two common (thiamethoxam and clothianidin) drone survival, behaviour physiology using individuals reared maintained adults field....
There is clear evidence for wild insect declines globally. Habitat loss, climate change, pests, pathogens and environmental pollution have all been shown to cause detrimental effects on insects. However, interactive between these stressors may be the key understanding reported declines. Here, we review literature pesticide pathogen interactions bees, identify knowledge gaps, suggest avenues future research fostering mitigation of observed The limited studies available that pesticides most...
Insecticides are contributing to global insect declines, thereby creating demand understand the mechanisms underlying reduced fitness. In eusocial Hymenoptera, inclusive fitness depends on successful mating of male sexuals (drones) and efficient collaborative brood care by female workers. Therefore, sublethal insecticide effects sperm glands used in larval feeding (hypopharyngeal (HPG)) would provide key for population declines insects. However, while negative impacts bumblebee colony have...
There is consensus that climate change one of the grand challenges facing humanity in twenty first century, inevitably most confided and undeniably pressing. Profound effects are inevitable global agriculture, beekeeping certainly no exemption. Indeed, extreme weather natural disasters have already had an impact on honey bees. Thus, it appears evident will constitute a key stress factor for managed bees beekeepers alike contributing to increased colony losses reduced income. Here, we review...
Global insect biodiversity declines due to reduced fitness are linked interactions between environmental stressors. In social insects, inclusive depends on successful mating of reproductives, i.e. males and queens, efficient collaborative brood care by workers. Therefore, interactive effects malnutrition pollution sperm feeding glands (hypopharyngeal (HPGs)) would provide mechanisms for population declines, unless buffered against their relevance. However, while negative bumble bee colony...
Invasive species may exploit a wide range of food sources, thereby fostering their success and hampering mitigation, but the actual degree opportunism is often unknown. The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, parasite honeybee colonies endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. SHBs have now spread on all habitable continents can also infest other social bees. To date, possible role solitary bee nests as alternative hosts Similarly, flowers sources are not well understood. Here, we show that...
Reproductive strategies can act as strong selective forces on reproductive traits of male insects, resulting in species-specific variation sperm quantity and viability. For solitary bees, basic measures viability are scarce. Here we evaluated for the first time Osmia cornuta bees at different times after emergence, how they were affected by body mass environmental condition (laboratory or semi-field arena). Sperm immediately adult emergence showed no significant difference compared to four...
Stingless bee (Apidae, Meliponini) is a group of eusocial insects that widely distributed in the neotrophic regions globe. Similar to honeybees, stingless bees produce honey usually valued much higher, likely due both its unique flavor and properties. In this study, samples produced by Tetragonula laeviceps species complex were collected from different meliponary Eastern Thailand (Rayong, Chantaburi, Trat provinces). The examined physicochemical parameters, antioxidant, antimicrobial...
Pressures from multiple, sometimes interacting, stressors can have negative consequences to important ecosystem-service providing species like the western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ). The introduced parasite Varroa destructor and neonicotinoid class of insecticides each represent important, nearly ubiquitous biotic abiotic bees, respectively. Previous research demonstrated that they synergistically interact negatively affect non-reproductive female workers, but no data exist on how...
The ubiquitous use of pesticides is one major driver for the current loss biodiversity, and common practice simultaneously applying multiple agrochemicals may further contribute. Insect toxicology currently has a strong focus on survival to determine potential hazards chemical routinely used in risk evaluations. However, studies revealing no effect or even indicating enhanced are likely be misleading, if trade-offs between other physiological factors overlooked. Here, we standard laboratory...
Collaborative brood care by workers is essential for the functionality of eusocial Apis mellifera honey bee colonies. The hypopharyngeal food glands play a crucial role in this context. Even though there consensus that ubiquitous ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and widespread insecticides, such as neonicotinoids, are major stressors health, their impact alone combination on feeding poorly understood. Here, we show combined exposure to V. neonicotinoids antagonistically interacted gland...