Insecticide Susceptibility in Asian Honey Bees (Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) and Implications for Wild Honey Bees in Asia

• DOI: 10.1093/jee/tox032
• Publication Date: 2017-01-30T13:26:41Z
• Authors: Mika Yasuda; Yoshiko Sakamoto; Koichi Goka; Teruyoshi Nagamitsu; Hisatomo Taki
• Keywords: Apis cerana; Neonicotinoid; Fipronil

To conserve local biodiversity and ensure the provision of pollination services, it is essential to understand impact pesticides on wild honey bees. Most studies that have investigated effects bees focused European bee (Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)), which commonly domesticated worldwide. However, Asian cerana) widely distributed throughout Asia, toxicity data are lacking for this species. This study aimed fill important knowledge gap. In study, we determined acute contact in A. cerana various pesticides, including neonicotinoids, fipronil, organophosphorus, synthetic pyrethroids, carbamate, anthranilic diamide. Based test duration 48 h LD50 tests, was most sensitive dinotefuran (0.0014 μg/bee), followed by thiamethoxam (0.0024 μg/bee) fipronil (0.0025 μg/bee). Dinotefuran used extensively thereby potentially creating a substantial hazard. More generally, approximately one order magnitude more than evaluated. The results our suggest neonicotinoid should not be considered as single group acts uniformly all bees, careful management strategies required populations mellifera.